Tag Archives: gluten free

Have you ever heard of these?  It is basically a smoothie bowl.  Imagine eating some frozen yogurt with fresh, juicy fruit on top.  That is basically what this is, except all of the sugar is completely natural and there is no dairy.  Therefore, no guilt plus tons of nutrition!  A wonderful thing to have, especially when it’s hot and you want something cool and refreshing.  These are so easy to make and so delicious!  Of course, it also helps that it’s raw vegan and gluten free!

Ingredients:

• 2 unsweetened frozen açaí packs
• 2 bananas, 1 sliced into 1/4″ thick coins
• 1/4 cup coconut water (I use the refrigerated ones)
• 2-3 strawberries, sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup sliced pineapples
• 1/4 cup sliced mangoes (I thawed out frozen mangoes for this)
• finely shredded coconut to garnish

1. Run the açaí packs under hot water for 10 seconds, then squeeze them out into a blender.
2. Add the unsliced banana and coconut water, and blend into an even consistency.
3. Pour smoothie into a bowl and arrange the rest of the fruit on top to your liking.
4. Grab a spoon and dig in!

This raw vegan, gluten free wrap is so easy to whip up!  In actuality, you can choose what items you want in the wrap but I chose these because my taste buds prefer them.  What I love is that you can make the barbecue sauce ahead of time and then just assemble the rest of the items at your own leisure.  The barbecue sauce takes only a few minutes to whip up, and you’re done!

BBQ Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 cup sundried tomatoes (about 20 tomatoes, soaked for at least an hour)
• 1 large garlic clove
• 2 tbsp onion
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp nama shoyu (or tamari for gluten-free version)
• 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup raw honey (or maple syrup for vegans)
• pinch of cayenne pepper

1. Drain tomatoes, reserving the water.
2. Add garlic and onion to food processor or blender and blend.
3. Add remaining ingredients and blend.
4. Add reserved water, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
5. Store in refrigerator.

Wrap Ingredients:

• 1 Paleo Wrap (click ingredient for link)
• 1 romaine lettuce leaf, sliced into fourths
• a few slices red onion
• 2-3 slices tomato
• 2-3 slices avocado (about 1/4 of an avocado)
• 2-3 thin slices tempeh
• 1-2 tbsp BBQ sauce

1. Arrange vegetables and tempeh on wrap.
2. Drizzle sauce on top.
3. Roll and enjoy!

Want an easy way to sneak in some extra protein while giving yourself a sweet treat at the same time?  How about some gluten free, vegan cookie dough protein balls?  These require no baking and is quick and easy to make! As always, if you click the ingredient, you’ll be directed to the Amazon page for that ingredient if you have trouble finding it in a store.

Ingredients:

• 3-5 raw almonds + 2 tbsp filtered water
• 3/4 cup raw creamy almond butter
• 1 tablespoon raw coconut flour, plus more if necessary
• 1/2 cup unflavored vegan protein powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp raw cacao nibs

1. Blend almonds and water and strain through a cheesecloth or nut milk bag to make almond milk.
2. Stir together all ingredients.
3. Roll into balls and place in refrigerator to set.

This delicious, creamy roasted pepper sauce is so easy to make and allows you to sneak in some super-nutritious hemp seeds!  Hemp seeds have an excellent balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.  They are considered the “perfect protein” because not only do they have all 20 amino acids, but they also have each of the 9 essential amino acids that our bodies can’t produce.  They are also high in fiber and contain various other vitamins and minerals.

As always, if click the ingredients to be directed to the appropriate Amazon page if you don’t know where to buy these ingredients.

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, roasted (click here to learn how to roast bell peppers)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup filtered water

Pasta Ingredients:

• 1 box brown rice pasta
• 3/4 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked for at least an hour and sliced into 1/2″ slices
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup Vidalia onion, diced
• 1-2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1. Boil pasta according to instructions.
2. While pasta is boiling, blend all sauce ingredients together.
3. Drain pasta and toss with sauce and remaining ingredients.

What a way to sneak in some extra protein and nutrition!  I’ve been looking for a vegan, no-bake brownie that still kept that moist, soft texture and didn’t bombard me with that bitter taste of cacao, and I’ve found it!  This is now my favorite way to sneak in lentils, hemp seeds, and cacao into my diet.  You should try it!  It’s easy to make, delicious, and hits that sweet, chocolatey spot!  One batch makes about 8 brownies.  If you can’t find these ingredients, just click them and you’ll be directed to the appropriate Amazon link.  Please note that this recipe uses cacao as opposed to cocoa, which is processed.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup hemp seeds
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 4 tbsp oats, ground into flour
• 5 tbsp coconut flour
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 4 tbsp raw cacao nibs

1. Wash lentils, then add lentils and water into a small pot and cook, partially covered, on medium heat until the lentils have absorbed all the water (about 11-14 minutes).  Allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Blend lentils and hemp seeds until smooth.
3. Add vanilla extract, salt, oil, and sugar and blend.  Divide mixture into 2 bowls.
4. Into one bowl, add half of the oat flour, coconut flour, maple syrup, cacao powder, and cacao nibs and stir until combined.  Layer it onto the bottom of a glass pan.
5. Into one bowl, add the rest of the oat flour, coconut flour, maple syrup, and cacao nibs and stir until combined.  Place on top of the bottom layer.
6. Refrigerate for at least an hour or freeze for half an hour before serving.  Keep refrigerated.

Fall weather is approaching and my home was getting cold, so I had to bake something to warm up the place.  Luckily, I always keep a batch of bananas ripening in my home (because you can always freeze them for later use) so it was perfect for some glorious gluten free, vegan banana bread!  The bananas make the bread naturally sweet and moist.  What I love about this bread is that it’s pretty much guilt-free.  I can eat half the loaf and not feel guilty because I’m getting potassium as well as protein (about 39 grams per loaf)!

I also added in some wheatgrass powder for an additional nutritional boost, which is totally masked by the rest of the wonderful flavors in the bread!  Wheatgrass has a TON of benefits, including a ton of minerals, vitamins A, B-complex, C, E, I, and K, protein, 17 amino acids (the building blocks of protein), chlorophyll (a blood builder), and an enzyme to slow down the aging process.  It neutralizes toxins in the body, helps purify the liver, and improves digestion, among so many other benefits!

As with all my recipes, if you click on the links in the ingredients, you’ll be directed to the Amazon page for that ingredient!

Ingredients:

• 4 medium, very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted* (plus extra to grease the pan)
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/8 tsp or a pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free oats, ground into flour
• pinch sea salt (optional)
• 1 tbsp wheatgrass powder and 1 tbsp maple syrup (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil.
3. Mash the bananas.  You can do it by hand or put it in a blender.
4. Mix in melted oil, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
5. Fold in baking powder, baking soda, oat flour, and salt.
6. Add in wheatgrass powder and maple syrup, if using, and stir until combined.
7. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.
8. Serve warm.  Coconut oil can solidify at cooler temperatures, which would make the bread dense.  Just reheat the bread when serving.  I suggesting wrapping a slice in aluminum foil and placing it in the toaster oven until the slice is heated thoroughly.

* To melt coconut oil, place oil in small bowl.  Set the bowl over a cup of hot water.  The steam from the water will heat the bottom of the bowl, which will melt the coconut oil.

Try not to eat it all at once!

I hope to update this with better pictures because it tastes so much better than it looks!  This is my first foray into incorporating more protein into my diet, since I’ve been working out more, and I wanted ways to include it, other than by throwing protein powder into green smoothies, so here we go!  This is delicious and I can easily eat half the batch in one sitting – it makes about 8 pancakes, total.  AND it’s gluten free!  I learned that it’s easier to flip the pancakes if you make smaller pancakes.  So try this super easy recipe for breakfast (or any other time)!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp flax seeds + 3 tbsp warm water *
• 3/4 cup raw hazelnuts (or other nuts of choice) + 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free oats, ground into flour
• 1 scoop vegan protein powder (click here for the one I used)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp melted coconut oil, plus more for greasing the pan **

1. Grind flax seeds and combined with water to create a flax egg.  This works best when the flax is freshly ground.
2. Blend hazelnuts and water, then strain through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth to create nut milk.  It should make about 1 3/4 cup of milk.  Set aside.
3. Whisk together oat flour, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt.
4. Add flax egg, nut milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and 1 tbsp oil, and stir to combine.
5. Grease the pan with a little oil and pour some batter into the pan (probably a few tablespoons), cooking it on each side for a few minutes on medium-low heat.  The pancake should be ready to flip when the bubbles stop or decrease significantly.
6. Serve with your favorite toppings.

* This is what will bind the batter.

** Coconut oil has a melting point of only 76º, so it doesn’t take much to melt.  I suggest putting the oil in a container, holding it over a container of steaming water until the oil melts.

Ooey gooey chocolate mixed with raspberry jam???  Where can I get some?!?  Well, try these raw vegan, gluten free chocolate raspberry coconut layer bars to satisfy your cravings!  They’re easy to make and delicious!  You have a caramel-like bottom layer, then a coconut cream layer, then raspberry jam, followed by chocolate on top, to create a wonderful mesh of flavors!  This recipe calls for melted coconut oil – do not microwave the oil to melt it.  That will kill the nutrients.  Coconut oil’s melting point is only 76 degrees, so put the oil in a small container over a container of steaming hot water.

Bottom Layer Ingredients:

• 10 hazelnuts, soaked for at least 8 hours and drained
• 5 large medjool dates
• 1 tsp raw honey (or maple syrup to make it vegan)
• 1 tsp raw cacao powder

Coconut Layer Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw coconut butter
• 1 tsp coconut oil, melted (see above)
• 1 tsp raw honey (or maple syrup to make it vegan)
• 1 tsp almond extract

1 cup Raspberry Jam: Click for recipe – make at least 2 hours ahead of time.

Chocolate Layer Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp coconut oil, melted (see above)

1. Blend bottom layer ingredients in a food processor or blender.  Spread along the bottom of a glass pan.
2. Blend coconut layer ingredients in a food processor or blender and spread on top of the bottom layer.
3. Layer raspberry jam on top.
4. Blend chocolate layer ingredients in a food processor blender and pour over the top.
5. Freeze for an hour to set.  Cut into rectangles and then leave in the refrigerator.

Raw vegan raspberry jam – what more is there to say?  This is super simple to make, and delicious!  I love having different ways of eating fruit!  So the next time you want jam, make your own!

Makes 3-4 cups.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 4 large medjool dates
• 1/8 cup coconut water
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

1. Blend dates with water, then add raspberries.
2. Stir in chia seeds.
3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

One of the great things about having a mother who cooks great food is easy access to such deliciousness.  Not only can I pick her brain on how to make the food, but I know how it tastes, too, so I can play around with ingredients to healthify them!

Ché is a term used to describe a large variety of Vietnamese desserts.  There isn’t really a way to pin them down, except that they all seem to contain liquid as well as food.  They are all vegan, but some are only eaten cold, some are only eaten hot, and some can be eaten both ways.  This can be eaten both ways, and I enjoy it both ways but I think I may slightly prefer eating it cold.  Don’t worry about measurements for this – adjust it to your tastes and preferences.  I have yet to figure out a healthy way to recreate my favorite ché, but here is a super simple version of one that my mom made for me over the holidays that I couldn’t stop gobbling.  It is so easy to make that you can basically let it sit while you go watch TV or do other things.  It has a sweet and nutty taste to it from the mung beans, in a creamy base from the coconut milk.  This dessert is gluten free and high in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber.

If you are having trouble finding any of these ingredients, just click on the ingredient and you’ll be taken to the Amazon.com link for the item.

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 6 tbsp maple syrup
• 3/4 cup dehusked mung beans
• 1 cup water or more

1. Add chia seeds to a large container.
2. Shake the can of coconut milk until the liquids and solids mix together and add milk and syrup to the container.  Don’t worry if you have chunks of coconut milk – they will melt later.  Stir ingredients until they turn into a light brown color.
3. Rinse mung beans and add to a large pot.  The beans should be a thin layer across the bottom.  Add enough water so that it rises above the layer by about half an inch.  You can add more if you want the beans to become softer and thicker.
4. Heat beans on medium low until they simmer. Reduce heat to low until most of the water is absorbed into the beans and the beans have softened, about 30-40 minutes, stirring once or twice.  There should be no more water rising above the layer of beans.  You can always adjust the water and amount of mung beans to your taste, or let it heat longer if you want the beans even softer.
5. Add beans and remaining water from the pot into the container and stir until the solid chunks liquefy and blend with the rest of the dessert.
6. Serve immediately or refrigerate for at least a few hours and serve cold.

Tip:  If you want to serve it immediately, I recommend letting the chia seeds soak in the milk mixture for at least a couple hours before starting the mung beans, so that the chia seeds can have time to form that gel coating.