Key Lime Pie Recipe!

I know some of you have been waiting to have this down on a digital copy! So here it is! Super yummy and nutritious! 

Avocado Key Lime Pie!! YUM!
(Recipe from Stacy Stowers)

3/4 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw walnuts
10 medjool dates (1 cupe pitted and packed down)
pinch of salt

Process ingredients in a food processor using the "S" blade until ingredients stick together.  Do not over process or you will make nut butter.  Press into pie plate.  Chill while preparing the pie filling.

Pie filling:
3/4 c. squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 cup avocados 1/2 c. honey
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. coconut oil
2 T. lecithin (I use about 1.5 T chia seeds soaked in 2-3 T. water and add to the blender mix instead)

Blend all ingredients except coconut oil and lecithin.  Now add the coconut oil and lecithin.  Blend all until creamy.  Pour it into pie crust and chill for 4-6 hours or until firm.  You can decorate with a kiwi and colorful berries.  Freezing it and enjoying it slightly thawed, but still pretty firm is also delicious too! One of our favorite desserts!

Basic Hummus

Basic Hummus

Ingredients

·        2 cans chickpeas (other beans can be used but garbanzos are the classic)

·        1-2 cloves garlic, or 1-2 tsp minced garlic

·        2-3 tablespoons olive oil

·        up to ½ cup water (optional) or 1 Tbsp lemon juice

·        ½ teaspoon salt

May add other flavors such as red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, cumin, curry, tahini etc....

Instructions

Place chickpeas in a blender or food processor with garlic, olive oil, ¼ cup water (I don't use water), and salt. (Add any other ingredients for flavor such as red peppers.)

Blend or puree until very smooth, adding water one tablespoon at a time if the mixture is too sticky to move through the blender. (Go easy on the water as it can make it runny) - You can also use lemon juice for a Tbsp or so.

Once the mixture is going, you can stream in a little bit more olive oil to help achieve a super creamy texture.

GRANOLA made easy

Yummy Fruit & Nut Granola

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa flakes (optional)
• 3 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup puffed Kashi cereal
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup dried chopped fruit (pineapple, apricots, blueberries, cranberries)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup puffed millet cereal (
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2- 1 tsp extract of your choice- vanilla, almond, or anise.

Variations: (optional) orange zest (I like this one the best)

powdered or candied ginger 

unsweetened chocolate shavings

Directions

1. Put the oats, quinoa flakes (if using these) and coconut on cookie sheet and spread out.  Toast at 350 for a few minutes to lightly brown.  Watch! They burn fast!
2. Put the sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and nuts on a separate cookie sheet and do the same.
3. Dump the quinoa flakes, rice cereal, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, cranberries, coconut, pumpkin seeds, and millet cereal into a large bowl.
4. In a separate smaller bowl, add the honey, coconut oil, salt and extract. Heat over low heat so that it melts and mixes together (I just micro-waved it for about a minute or so).
5. Pour the mixture over the seeds and cereal, and mix until everything is covered. May take a few minutes.
6. Spread the mix over 2 cookie sheets and roast in the oven for about 10 min at 350 (keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn).
7. Done! Serve with berries and rice milk, or munch on by the handful as a tasty snack :)

Butternut Squash Soup

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/10/butternut-squash-soup/

I just modify using coconut oil instead of butter and homemade vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.  But both would work and this soup is so yummy! The kids even like it too! YUM!

Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe by Our Best Bites
serves 6-8

1/2 T olive oil
1 T butter
1/2 C sliced carrots (abt 1 med carrot or 12 baby ones)
2 stalks celery, diced
1 C diced onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium butternut squash, (abt 4 cups peeled and diced)
1 medium potato, diced (about 2 C diced)
32 oz chicken broth (that’s one box/carton)
1 T brown sugar
1 1/2 t kosher salt
3/4 t dried sage
1 pinch cayenne pepper or a douse of hot sauce

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and butter. When butter is melted add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic

Saute for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add the squash.

Then add potato, sage, salt, red pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer with the lid on for 30-40 minutes or until everything is tender. Check a piece of squash and also a piece of celery and potato to make sure they area fork tender. Stir in 1 T brown sugar.

Use an immersion blender, or transfer soup to a regular blender and puree until smooth.

I topped mine with a little parsley so it didn’t look so plain! A small drizzle of heavy cream or sour cream is also tasty.

Another Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce! YUM!

Here is the one we made when you were here Jessica! :) Taken from detoxinista.com
http://detoxinista.com/2013/05/creamy-cauliflower-alfredo-dairy-free-nut-free/

Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo 
makes 2 cups

Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon coconut oil, or butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces cauliflower florets
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon fine Himalayan salt, or more to taste
black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Saute the minced garlic in the coconut oil or butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Allow to cook for a few minutes, until the garlic is tender and fragrant, but not browned. Add the 1 cup of water to the saucepan, along with the cauliflower, and bring the water to a boil. (The water will not cover the cauliflower, and that’s okay.) Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot for 8-10 minutes, until the cauliflower is fork-tender and very soft.

Transfer the entire contents of the saucepan into a blender or food processor, and season with salt and pepper. Process until very smooth and creamy, with a texture similar to traditional cream sauce. (Always be careful when blending hot liquids– the steam pressure can blow the lid off your blender!) Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve hot.

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Cauli-power Fettuccine "Alfredo" from ohsheglows.com

http://ohsheglows.com/2014/01/20/cauli-power-fettuccine-alfredo-vegan/

Vegan, refined sugar-free, soy-free

A decadent-tasting, but super light and energizing vegan alfredo pasta sauce made with a base of cooked cauliflower! You have to taste this to believe it. The nutritional yeast gives this sauce a lovely "cheesy" flavour while the blended cauliflower creates a luxurious (but light) creamy base. If you don't want to serve it over pasta, try serving it over your favourite roasted vegetables or stirred into cooked rice. Thanks to Pinch of Yum for inspiring this tasty recipe!

Yield
4 servings (or 3 cups sauce)

Prep Time
20 Minutes

Cook time
30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 heaping cups cauliflower florets (1 small/medium cauliflower)
• 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (from 2 med/lg cloves)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened and unflavoured almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon pepper, to taste
• Fettuccine pasta of choice (I used one (8-oz) box of Eden Organic Spelt Ribbons)
• Fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1. Add cauliflower florets in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a low boil. Once boiling, cook for another 3-7 minutes until fork tender. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, add the oil into a skillet and saute the minced garlic over low heat for 4-5 minutes until softened and fragrant, but not browned.
3. In a high speed blender, add the cooked and drained cauliflower, sauteed garlic, milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until a super smooth sauce forms. If using a Vitamix use the tamper stick as needed. The key here is to get a really smooth sauce so don't be afraid to let it run for a minute or so. Set aside.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add your desired amount of pasta and boil for the time instructed on the package. Drain pasta.
5. Add cauliflower sauce into the pot (you can use the same pot!) and add the drained pasta. Heat over low-medium until heated enough to your liking. Salt again to taste (the pasta dilutes the flavour).
6. Serve with fresh minced parsley and black pepper. Feel free to add in your favourite sauteed or roasted vegetables. I think peas, spinach, or broccoli would work very nicely! I added mushrooms, but I wasn't overly crazy about them in this dish.

Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/2014/01/20/cauli-power-fettuccine-alfredo-vegan/#ixzz37lB1I2WI

Amber's Granola Bars
-super yummy and nutritious! We bake these in bulk and they are great homemade "Nature Valley Honey Oat" type bars! yum!

4 c. oats
1 c. raw sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. shredded coconut (I substituted sunflower seeds and sesame seeds)
1 c. chopped nuts
3/4 c. melted coconut oil
1/2 c. raw honey
2/3 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. wheat germ

Combine all ingredients.  Mix well, pack into well greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 baking sheet.  Bake 9 minutes at 450* convection.