Frozen Pear Mocha

This is good stuff.  Sweet, creamy, and super healthy to boot!  I enjoyed this coffee drink much more than a standard Starbucks Frappuccino, and I'll definitely repeat the combination of frozen fruity pears infusing my blended coffee beverages.  It's so easy, and most things you'll have around the house anyway.  If you chop and freeze the pears yourself, you can freeze and blend with skin (frozen fruit is often already skinned) for an extra fiber boost.

You will need:

• Chopped frozen pear
• Milk of choice (I used unsweetened Silk Almond Milk)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder to taste (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
• Instant coffee or espresso, 1-2 servings worth
• Optional: cinnamon to taste (I used it), additional sweetener (I didn't include)

1. Put all ingredients in a blender.  I used my Magic Bullet.
2. Pulse until blended.
3. Enjoy!

Super Fudgy Steel-Cut Oats

Nutty + chocolatey +... healthy?  Yes!  Cocoa + coconut oil work so well with the steel cut oats here.

Steel cut oats have a wonderful nutty flavor and a satisfying crunch.  While I generally prefer them to the standard rolled variety, I would avoid them because they were too much work.  That is, until I realized I could make steel cut oats easily in my single serving rice cooker (stay tuned for some more details in a future post!).

To make these chocolate oats, you will need:

• Plain oats of choice, cooked as you like them and warm (steel cut oats are wonderful!)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, to taste
• Sweetener of choice, to taste (I used Splenda)
• Coconut butter, a small dab for richness or to taste

1. Mix everything together.
2. Taste and adjust ingredients as necessary.
3. Enjoy!

Coconut Quinoa Pudding

This is a healthy, creamy breakfast pudding, reminiscent of a rice pudding.  Unlike standard white rice pudding, this pudding is made from nutrient-rich quinoa, so comes with loads of protein and fiber.  The flavors are pretty comparable, and the texture is a little more creamy than standard rice pudding.  To make the pudding, you will need:

• Quinoa of choice, uncooked (I used basic white quinoa)
• Milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond)
• Coconut flakes
• Sweetener of choice (I used a mix of stevia and agave)
• Ground ginger
• Vanilla (optional)
• 2-3 Green cardamom pods

1. Fill small (1.5 quart) crockpot until 2/3 full with quinoa and milk, with approximately 1 part quinoa to 3 or 4 parts milk 
2. Stir in remaining ingredients to taste
3. Cook on low overnight or on medium or high heat for a few hours, until the pudding is soft and creamy.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings; sprinkle with some extra coconut flakes.
5. Enjoy!

Deep Chocolate Truffles

 I'm a huge fan of Chocolate Covered Katie, so as soon as I saw her recipe for fudge babies and friends, I knew I wanted in.  They're easy, healthy, natural, and delicious.  So one day, when I get a super high powered blender and can pulverize some walnuts, I totally plan to make them.  Several varieties of them.  However, until then, I'll be making this recipe and calling on the same CCK concepts and deliciousness in spirit.  This recipe yields a truffle that's pretty tasty in its own right.  Your truffles will also be rich and delicious.  As with the originals, you'll need no added sugar and no blender.  You only need:

• Almond butter (choose a variety according to taste - e.g. salty or not, roasted or not...)
• Mashed dates (if they are difficult to mash to the consistency of applesauce, soak them for a few hours first)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark for rich color)
• Instant coffee powder (optional, for a mocha flavor)

1. Mix the first three ingredients in approximately equal portions with a fork (possibly use less cocoa depending on how bitter you like things, a little goes a long way here) until a chocolatey batter forms.  
2. Taste and adjust the proportions, adding some coffee granules if desired.
3. Role into balls.
4. Enjoy!

Have a Healthy, Vegan Passover

These beautiful beet chips are delicious year round, not just on Passover!

Consider this a totally unauthorized guide to healthy food that happens to be vegan and suitable for Passover. It also can serve as a resource for easy to prepare, healthy vegan foods which happen to be gluten-free.

Special diets always pose an interesting and exciting challenge.  Passover, a Jewish weeklong holiday, is especially challenging for observers of the holiday who are of Ashkenazi descent, as these followers are to avoid most flours as well as rice, corn, beans, soy, peanuts (!), etc.  For vegans, such restrictions cut out many key sources of nutrients.  For a while, I had wondered if both sets of constraints (Passover and vegan) could be met with adequate nutrition and variety.  I gave this dietary puzzle some serious thought.

I now believe that, given proper planning, a healthy and nourishing vegan Pesach is indeed possible.  You can enjoy a number of delicious and healthy vegetarian and vegan Passover meals while adhering to the dietary guidelines for the holiday!  In fact, you can even expand your culinary horizons and try a lot of new and interesting foods while you're at it.  For those of you observing the holiday - or who are supporting friends who are choosing to do so, here are some tips for how to enjoy the holiday in a healthy, vegan way:

1. Eat lots of vegetables.  
   Veggies are delicious, healthy, and relatively inexpensive.  Almost all of them are allowed for the holiday.  They are filling, and really, we should be eating more of them anyway.  There are so many new and exciting ways to prepare vegetables that you could try.  How many have you considered?  For example, grilling, roasting, sauteeing, etc.  
   
   You could cook a different vegetable, prepared in a different way, each night.  You could even try two different types of vegetables each day.  You are bound to come away from such an experience with at least a few new recipes for vegetables you absolutely love.  Of course, I'm biased on this count-this is the Veggie Wonder blog, after all!   

Some of my favorites from this blog:
• Best broccoli of my life (just omit the nooch, it's still delicious!)
  
• Buttery brussels sprouts
  
• Curried eggplant
  
• Curried cauliflower soup
  
• Garlic chardonnay asparagus
  



2. Consume healthy and diverse sources of carbohydrates.
    Matzo crackers are of course the traditional carbohydrate for the holiday, but you can improve the nutrition quotient of your matzah by going for a variety made with whole grain, bran, or oats.  
   
   Quinoa is for some reason also allowed, and it's one of the healthiest grains out there.  You can use quinoa with sweetener, etc. as a wholesome breakfast in the morning (and you can prepare it in the slow cooker!), or with salt and pepper in a savory manner for lunch or dinner.  Substitute quinoa for couscous in tabbouleh recipes, or for rice for a delicious pilaf.  Quinoa is also an excellent source of protein.  And don't forget, potatoes-baked, mashed, or just the skins.  Yum!



3. Include healthy proteins in your diet.  
   There are proteins that you can find that work here.  Yes, tofu and beans are unfortunately out.  However, there are some protein powders which should pass muster.  For example, you can find online two magical, lifesaving powders: brazil nut protein powder and pumpkin seed protein powder.  Hemp and flax powders are also available, and may or may not be acceptable to you, depending on which set of guidelines you follow.   Protein balls are delicious, with a protein powder as the main bulking agent for various sweet treats.
   
   Protein powder can add a nice boost to anything you are making from a pudding to a smoothie.  Mmmmmmm, smoothies!   Now is a great time to try out a green monster smoothie, if you haven't done so already!
   
   You can also mix your protein powder into soups, drinks, and sauces, to be sure you get a decent amount of protein in most of your meals.
   
   Some of my favorite high-protein recipes from this blog:
   • Sweet nut butter balls (use almond butter instead of standard pb)
     
   • Chocolate almond protein truffles (substitute a different protein powder, and you are golden)
     

Following are some delicious healthy holiday food substitutions:

• Pasta-Spaghetti squash, regular shirataki noodles (the kind without tofu)
• Soups-Curried cauliflower soup, gazpacho soup, etc.
• Sauces-Guacamole, salsa, most nut butters and seed-butters (you can stir in some protein powder into creamier sauces to make a meal out of them)
• Sandwiches-layer a high protein sauce from above with cooked or raw veggies between matzo, or roll in a large leafy green, such as cabbage or lettuce, for a wrap
• Salty Snacks-Beet chips, kale chips
• Sweet Snacks-Baby carrots, homemade applesauce (really easy in the slow cooker!), baked sweet potato fries
• Desserts-Chocolate almond berry truffles from this blog, as well as our sweet nut protein balls (use almond butter instead of peanut butter); Chocolate Covered Katie also has some great ideas, including fudge babies, healthier macaroons, and a grasshopper pie (all of which I have tried, and found delicious)

This list is incomplete, and I'll add to it as time passes and I get more ideas.  Please feel free to comment with some of your vegan holiday-appropriate favorites!

Cinnamon Raisin Celebration Muffins

These muffins look especially festive wrapped in multicolor paper!

 These muffins are delicious, satisfying, easy, and healthy.  They are easily made gluten-free, and they clock in at about 100 calories/muffin and have almost no fat.  Each muffin is fairly generously proportioned, too, and while it may taste like a traditional muffin, it won't leave you with a sugar high followed by a sudden crash.  You may choose whether to use or omit the flaxseed - it won't affect the taste much but will make the muffin a bit less crumbly than it might be otherwise.  To make the muffins, you will need:

• 3 cups oat flour
• 1-3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 spoonful of ground flaxseed (optional, makes muffins less crumbly)
• 1 bottle of beer (for gf muffins, use a gf beer)
• salt, sweetener, and cinnamon to taste
• vanilla (optional)
• raisins to taste (I used 1.5 single serving boxes of Del Monte  raisins)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix together the oat flour and baking powder (and the flaxseed, if desired); fluff with spoon.
3. Add the beer, stir until all the clumps of oat flour get dissolved.
4. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and taste the batter.  Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Pour the batter into 12 lined or greased muffin tins and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
6. Enjoy!

Makes 12 muffins.

Right after they leave the oven, all ready to be eaten!

You can see a few of the raisins peeking through the surface.

Overnight Oats with Carob and Coffee

After seeing lots of posts about overnight oats in the blogosphere, I finally decided to try my hand (spoon?) at the trend and see how I liked it.  I liked these oats plenty!  Rich, creamy, super-healthy... what more could I ask for?  The carob works really well here and has a natural sweetness.  The coffee powder is optional, and it can add a bit of a kick.  Sortof like a mildly caffeinated iced mocha for breakfast, in oatmeal form!

To make these oats, you will need:

• Milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond)
• Carob powder to taste
• Optional: instant coffee powder, cinnamon, sweetener, and salt
• Old-fashioned oats

1. Mix the milk with a few spoonfuls of carob powder and the optional ingredients, if you're using them.  Stir everything, taste, and adjust proportions if necessary.
2. Add the oats and stir the mixture.
3. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight.  Over this time the oats will absorb the liquid and get really creamy.
4. Enjoy!

This was good.  The photo doesn't do it justice (my regular camera is getting repaired).  Expect more overnight oat recipes to follow!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Capped Carob Muffin Sliders

 Carob has been growing on me lately.  It's subtly sweet on its own, unlike chocolate, and it has a nice richness and depth without the caffeine, which means it's safe for consumption at any hour.  I decided to give carob powder a try in a beer bread recipe.  When this savory muffin flat (slider) is paired with a generous dollop of peanut butter and a mildly sweet spread such as apricot jelly or orange marmalade, the flavors complement each other in what I found were novel and tasty ways. 

This recipe is a take on the beer breads I have been making.  It represents another hack at using amaranth flour.  This time I was hoping the carob would mask it, and I was pretty satisfied with the result.  As with a few other breads I have baked for this blog, initially I did not like these muffins.  On their own they are kindof yucky.  However, when I topped them with the pb&j, as shown in the photos (or pb alone), I found them to be absolutely delicious - and adorable.  So these muffins come with a caveat - they must be dressed accordingly to achieve the proper taste combination!

To make these muffin flats, you will need:

• 2 cups of amaranth flour (quinoa flour would probably also work here)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened carob powder
• 1 bottle beer (I used New Grist)
• salt and sweetener to taste
• vanilla, cinnamon, instant coffee powder, etc. to taste (optional)

For the topping:

• peanut butter
• sweet fruit spread such as apricot jelly or orange marmalade (I don't think blueberry or strawberry jam would work well here)

*Please note that measurements here are approximate-I made this recipe a while back and failed to take good notes.  If I make these again (it's likely!) I'll update this page.

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix together the amaranth flour and the carob powder, and then sift them with a spoon.
3. Add the beer and stir until the lumps are all gone.
4. Add remaining flavorings, taste, and adjust as necessary.
5. Pour into greased or lined muffin tins. 
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
7. Top with a generous layer of peanut butter, and then a generous layer of jelly.
8. Enjoy!

Chocolate Blueberry Bread with Quinoa and Amaranth Flours

This is a healthy, nutty tasting bar, I think from the amaranth flour.  Like something "decadent" you might get in the vegan section of a health foods store.  If you like amaranth, you will almost certainly enjoy this bread, and even if you're not a fan, you still might like it.  I had bought the amaranth flour a few weeks back and been planning to experiment with it for a while.  Finally, I had some free time so I opened the bag of amaranth flour, and I realized that I don't like the smell of amaranth.  For this reason, even when baked, the bread seemed slightly less appealing to me than it might otherwise have been.  However, I love, love, love blueberries and chocolate, so I was able to tolerate the first slice or so of the bread.  I then left it out on the kitchen counter, and I guess overnight the smell dissipated and the flavors melded, and so the next day, I thought it tasted good, and the third day, I thought the bread tasted delicious - still healthy, though - it looks like a dessert but doesn't taste like one!

The gooey-ness of the blueberries and chocolate in the final loaf was retained for a few days after the baking process was complete.  This is a moist, healthy and nutty-tasting loaf.

To make it, you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups oat flour
• 3/4 cup quinoa flour
• 3/4 cup amaranth flour
• 2-3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 container beer (I used New Grist)
• Blueberries (I used ~1 cup frozen)
• Chocolate chunks (I used 1/2 of a 90% cacao Lindt bar) 
• Salt and sweetener to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix the first 4 dry ingredients and fluff with a fork.  Add the beer and stir until clumps dissolve.  
3. Add remaining ingredients, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
4. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until tester comes out without bread on it (some chocolate or blueberry will be inevitable).
5. Enjoy!  

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like our wild blueberry bread or spiced plum muffins!