October 30, 2014

Halloween Recipe || Caramel ||10.30.14

October 30, 2014/ ekfriend

Halloween is upon us! In fact it’s tomorrow!!! Do you love Halloween as much as I do? Because my room is decorated with fake leaves, window stickies, and pumpkin paintings. I have been reading some great blog posts written by ladies who painted their pumpkins white to line their entryways and others who spread out huge cobwebs throughout their houses. In honor of our Health and Wellness Thursdays, here’s what I’m contributing to the best day of the year… Introducing a beautifying and delicious, blended to perfection caramel! And since I couldn’t decide just which one to make, I decided to make three and let you know how they all worked out! The recipes below are vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar free, and definitely so delicious your spoon will be diving back in for more.

Enjoy some of this deliciousness with apples (my personal favorite), on top of oatmeal, inside homemade peanut butter cups, or straight from the spoon. Imagine this stirred into a container of peanut butter … drool.

|| CARAMEL ||

date based, with oil or without, maybe some almond butter – all good

first recipe //

Ingredients ||

¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup organic coconut oil
1/6 cup + 1 tbsp almond butter
2 dates
1 teaspoon honey
Dash of salt (to taste)

Recipe ||

Add all of the ingredients to a high speed blender (I used my magic bullet – not the best, but hey, dorm room) and blend until all ingredients are incorporated, the texture is a light golden brown, and the consistency is smooth – easy peasy

Notes ||

Experimenting with this recipe was so fun, because the flavors individually are so far from the taste of caramel – but when combined I must kiss my fingers and say mmmmagnificent. At first I could still taste almond butter in one bite, maple syrup in the other, maybe a little date, but after letting the flavors sit and mingle, the flavor was more caramel than I ever imagined -- not exact but pretty darn close. Plus, it looks like caramel and has that gorgeous drippy texture that I was looking for in my little experiment. The original recipe uses vanilla, and I bet that would have added another dynamic, but I didn’t have some quality vanilla extract on me and since we were keeping this raw, I didn’t want any of that alcohol aftertaste. This one is great with apples. I had to restrain myself. Majorly restrain. I also made my almond butter in my Magic Bullet before I made this, so it was a little drier than the usual store-bought brands and that might have contributed to the original overwhelming almond butter taste.

tested and adapted from Nutrition Stripped

second recipe //

Ingredients ||

¼ cup soaked dates
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
½ tablespoon almond butter (can be omitted)
cinnamon
a dash of sea salt
water as needed

Recipe ||

Send all of the ingredients to a high speed blender, like above, and let it do it’s thing --

Notes ||

Dates naturally taste very carameley – it’s awesome for quick snacks with a little chocolate chips and almond butter inside, but that's beside the point . This recipe had a very nice light flavor, an airy texture, and didn’t sit heavy in my stomach. It also didn’t taste rich and decadent which is what I was going for, but it would be awesome in a peanut butter cup inspired recipe with tahini and this caramel wrapped with raw chocolate. Yum. The almond butter wasn’t in the original recipe but just added a nice depth of flavor I couldn’t pass up.

tested and adapted from This Rawsome Vegan Life

third recipe //

Ingredients ||

½ cup of dates
½ banana (or 2 tbsp coconut oil if not staying oil free)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
dash of sea salt

Recipe ||

Yep! You guessed right – throw them all in the blender and wait for smooth perfection --

Notes ||

This recipe looked the most like caramel, but unfortunately tasted too much like banana (duh em, there’s a banana in there). Nevertheless, I think this would be amazing swirled into a banana bread recipe or cookie rather than dipped with apples or eaten by itself.

tested and adapted from This Rawsome Vegan Life

Overall, I love the first one for eating on its own and the other two for swirling into some delicious recipes. I really encourage you to tweak all the recipes, throw them all together if you want, and let me know what you think! I was playing with these during a really upsetting weekend, so it was a great relief. Just go in there with no expectations and let me know what magic you whip up?

[photos by emily friend]

September 25, 2014

Chocolate Covered Coconut Circles to Rock Your World

September 25, 2014/ ekfriend

It’s amaaaaaazing to me how easy and simple and life transforming sweets can be when they don’t contain ingredients that make you want to run for the hills. These treats are easy to make and indulgently glorious for your body.

I mean who doesn’t love coconut & chocolate – sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t… great commercial. Anyway… enjoy these little circles of pure joy – maybe add some peppermint to the filling and find yourself biting into a mint patty cloud. I know. Heaven.

When you eat ingredients that are delicious and magnificently great for you, you begin to look radiant and glowing. Pretty soon someone will ask you on the street, what’s your secret? Oh my secret? Coconut patties covered in chocolate and dotted with almonds…

Coming up this weekend… The Inside Scoop On Coconut

P.S. this rainy weather I’m having is really messing with my photo shoots… but how could I not share this deliciousness? Make these and if you still aren't assured of their magic... let me know and we'll work on that pronto ; - )

||Chocolate Covered Coconut Circles ||

Makes about 10 small treats – feel free to make larger ; )

Coconut Filling ||

½ cup + 2 tbsp. unsweetened organic coconut, finely shredded 2 tbsp. melted coconut oil 1 tablespoons liquid sweetener – I’ve been experimenting with brown rice syrup, so I used that, but agave, honey, or maple syrup would also work 1 dash cinnamon Might be a delicious option to add peppermint essential oil to the coconut filling for a minty treat!

Chocolate Coating || note: you can also melt a bag of chocolate chips to dip them in… which I would have done but Tuesday night I ate them all. yeah.

1 tbsp. melted coconut oil 1/3 cup cocoa powder -- I didn't have cacao on hand 4 tbsp. brown rice syrup (can use honey, maple syrup, or agave here as well) Additional flavorings could include: cinnamon, maca powder, cayenne, the options are endless!

Recipe ||

For the filling -

Combine all of the ingredients for the coconut filling together in a small bowl.
Grab a small cookie sheet with some parchment paper– I have a small living space and even smaller refrigerator so I used a container lid
Start to form the coconut into about 10 small paddies – mine were about the size of quarters (don’t worry if they don’t stick together well – this is due to the melty coconut oil – just clump them together on the paper and press down using the back of a spoon or lid)
Place them in the freezer to harden – about 30 minutes

For the chocolate -

Combine all of the ingredients for the chocolate coating together until smooth or melt your chocolate chips

For the final result -

After the patties have set, pull them out of the refrigerator and dip carefully in the chocolate mixture – using your fingers if eating these by yourself or a fork if you plan on sharing. Warning: this is a messy process – more chocolate got on my fingers then the coconut, which was really okay because I ate it all …
Feel free to add sliced almonds to the top or more shredded coconut
Place them back in the freezer or refrigerator to set or do what I did and not wait and just eat them as a chocolaty, blissful mess

Enjoy, loves! xxoo

Inspired by Free People: Almond Coconut Chocolate Bites + Emily Von Euw: Chocolate Covered Mint Patties

[pictures by yours truly, slightly off lighting courtesy of a rainy day – what is it they say about the best laid intentions…]

September 04, 2014

Bet You Didn't Know How Amazing Pineapple Is For You ... There's a Recipe, too!

September 04, 2014/ ekfriend

PINEAPPLE

Ananas comosus

Pineapple is an amazing fruit. --- side note: I find it funny that pretty much every other country calls it Ananas and Americans call it a Pineapple-- I like Ananas better! --- It is a multiple fruit, which means that it forms as the multiple fruits (drupelets) of the individual flowers grow and merge together. Pineapple can be grown at home; they do well in warm climates. Pineapple, while often associated with Hawaii, did not make it to the area until the early 1800s. It is native to Paraguay and southern Brazil. See below for ways to incorporate it into your diet and a favorite recipe of mine!

Pineapple is an excellent source of Vitamin C and manganese. In addition to the powerful antioxidant, Vitamin C, there are flavonoids present, such as quercetin. Fresh pineapple is the only known source of an enzyme, bromelain, which has been used in alleviating joint pain and arthritis, reducing inflammation, and inhibiting tumor growth.

Flavonoids are polyphenol compounds abundant in fruits, vegetables, nuts, tea, and coffee, and studies have shown they function as antioxidants, possessing biological activities beneficial to health. With a higher intake of flavonoids it has been shown that there is a lower risk of atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Quercetin is a flavonol compound and can help protect against ulcers and stomach cancers.

Nutritional Benefits | just some of the amazing qualities… per 165g or 1 cup

Vitamin C // 131% DV
Manganese // 76% DV
Vitamin B6 // 9% DV
Copper // 9% DV
Thiamin // 9% DV
Dietary Fiber // 9% DV
No Saturated Fats
No Cholesterol

What it can help me with |

Reduce Inflammation, bromelain enzyme --- great for sore throat relief
Improve digestion, high fiber and water content promote regularity and a healthy digestive tract
Healthy Skin, antioxidants help fight skin damage caused by sun and pollution; improve skin texture a.k.a reduce wrinkles; improve formation of collagen
Protection against ulcers and stomach cancers, quercetin content
Lower risk of heart attack and stroke, flavonoid content
Help combat the formation of free radicals known to cause cancer, due to high vitamin C content

How I can use it | Cubed, raw **

Consume it plain and fresh, add it to a smoothie, on top of cereal or granola, add to homemade salsa, bake into a spice cake, or freeze and save some for a later time
Sweet & Savory Pineapple Recipe recipe below

Canned

Make sure to get canned in 100% juice and use the liquid; this way you won’t miss out on important minerals and vitamins that can still be present

When not to eat:

Pineapple can increase symptoms, such as heartburn, for those with gastro-esophageal reflux disease
If your kidney has an inability or is slow at removing excess potassium from blood, do not consume pineapple

** how I like to use it!

recipe. recipe. recipe. recipe. recipe. recipe. recipe. recipe. recipe. recipe.

Sweet & Savory Pineapple

This recipe is easy to make, so there are no excuses for not eating amazing, nutrient packed, delicious foods. I wrote about sea salt and honey here, and I just wanted to touch on the power of cinnamon and ginger, just a couple players in the spice blend below.

Cinnamon is high in fiber and manganese, a good source of calcium, and contains antioxidant anthocyanidins and chalcone polymers. Anthocyanidins mean they may protect against cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other conditions in which oxidative damage is important. Chalcone polymers increase your cells’ ability to metabolize sugar by up to 20 times. Wow.

Ginger an amazing system soother and contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds including shogaols, gingerols, and 6-dehydrogingerdione (DGE). Shogaols inhibit growth of human lung cancer cells and cancer cells which also being an incredible anti-inflammatory. Gingerol can inhibit the growth of tumors and is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent. DGE suppress’ cancer cell growth.

There are so many good things about these two spices, I didn’t have enough space, so stay tuned for a more detailed post in the coming weeks.

To the recipe!!!

INGREDIENTS || try to buy organic as often as possible but don’t miss out on greatness if you don’t have all organic

1 pineapple
3-5 pinches of spice blend (see below)
2-3 pinches of sea salt, more to taste
*Honey to taste

*note: some vegans do not consume honey—that being said, honey hosts so many amazing and incredible benefits, makes me feel great without sugar crashes, and together are good enough reasons for me … feel free to substitute maple syrup or agave if you are a strict vegan

Spice Blend || have fun with the ratios… I liked mine a litter spicier, so I added more red pepper and black pepper – for a sweeter spice blend, use more cinnamon

2-3 tbsp dried red pepper
2-3 tsp. black pepper
½ tbsp. ginger
½ tbsp. nutmeg
½ tbsp. cinnamon

To make spice blend || add all of your desired spices to a blender or spice grinder, I used my magic bullet, and blend until combined – if using spices already in powdered form, just stir together store || in a small container for further use (good to add to stews, corn, salad dressings, etc.)

RECIPE ||

Cut pineapple any way you desire -- I cut the sides, top and bottom off of mine and then sliced the little pentagons into fifths.
Put pineapple into a mixing bowl or serving dish.
Add desired pinches of sea salt and spice blend over top of the pineapple
Drizzle with honey
Stir with a wooden spoon – if no wooden spoon, use what you have
Eat out of the bowl or plate and serve!

A little salty, a little sweet, a little spicy. No taste bud left behind. Enjoy!