HookedOnPlants

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Spring

Fudgy Quinoa Brownies + Vegan Camping Eats

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Holy fudgerama. These brownies are tasty.
You would never know there are hidden superfoods in these babies.
Dense & chewy. That’s what these brownies are all about.
The base? Quinoa and dates. Throw in some superfood ingredients like cacao and cinnamon, and you’ve got yourself a health food that tastes incredibly sinful.
A healthy version of a decadent brownie. YES.
You could eat these for breakfast.
These brownies are also PERFECT for a camping trip.
You know, for those times when you’re hanging around the campsite and need something sweet and luscious to sink your teeth into… Or  for that extra boost of energy on that hike of yours.
These brownies are packed with whole food ingredients, with out any refined sugar or gluten.

Raise the roof for these morsels of awesome!

On the camping thought, camping as a vegan isn’t as hard as you may think…
What else to eat as a Vegan Camper?
  • Breakfast:
    • Jules Fuel – my superfood quinoa oatmeal!
    • Banana pancakes – pre-make these, then throw them on the fire with some tin foil!
    • Overnight oats – fill a mason jar with oats, buckwheat, maple syrup, dried fruit and seeds, then fill it up with almond milk, shut the lid, and throw it in the cooler!
    • The Vegan Egg (trying this for the first time this weekend while we’re camping) with some Tempeh bacon, tomato, avo, and Chao cheese in a whole grain wrap.
  • Lunch:
    • Roasted weiners (still possible) and dijon wrapped in a bun or romaine – Field Roast and Gusta are the best in my books!
    • Sandwiches: bring your bread slices, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, hummus, and tempeh (either pre-cooked, or cooked on your skillet)
    • Pre-baked sweet potatoes: wrap them in tin-foil, then throw them on the fire at your campsite. Top it off with nut butter, maple syrup, or a pre-made tahini sauce
  • Dinner: Make it a one-bowl wonder by pre-cooking one of these:
  • Snacks:
    • Trail Mix
    • Apples, oranges, bananas, dried fruit
    • Dates
    • Popcorn
    • Dip-ables: hummus & veggies, chips & guac & salsa
  • Dessert:
    • Roasted vegan mellows
    • Roasted bananas: leave the banana peel on, slice vertically half way through, add some nut butter and vegan chocolate chips then wrap in tin foil and throw it on the flame
    • Fire-roasted apples
 
Benefits of these brownies:
  • Quinoa – complete with all 9 essential amino acids, this little seed will provide you with ample protein, and tons of minerals! This is what makes these brownies so satiating.
  • Dates – nature’s candy! These amazing fruits are so sweet, but they also come with the fibre, nutrients, vitamins and minerals your body needs. Because they’re packed with fibre, they’re a great sweetener that won’t spike your blood sugar like the usual suspects (white refined sugar being the worst, and maple syrup being the next best thing to dates).
  • Cacao – hello antioxidants! The raw cacao powder is not only and aphrodisiac, but also a start when it comes to preventing disease.

Fudgy Quinoa Brownies 

Vegan & Gluten Free

Serves: 12-15

Time: Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients: 

  • 2 cups quinoa, cooked (I used red, but you can use white instead!)
  • 2 cups pitted dates, soaked for 10 minutes in warm water, then drained
  • flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water = let sit for 5-10 minutes)
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil (plus 1 tsp for oiling baking dish)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup cacao powder
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla (powder or extract)
  • 1/2 cup cacao nibs or chopped pecans

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350, and oil 8 x 8 baking dish with coconut oil and a paper towel
  2. In a food processor, add the pre-cooked quinoa, baking powder, cinnamon and blend until sticky and almost pasty
  3. Add the cacao powder, vanilla, coconut oil and flax egg. Blend until nearly smooth
  4. Add the drained dates into the food processor and blend until smooth and a ball starts forming. Scrape down the sides when needed
  5. Add half of the cacao nibs, or chopped nuts and blend until combined (not too much!)
  6. Spread mixture out evenly in the dish, about 3/4 inch thick
  7. Bake for 25 minutes, then top with the rest of the cacao nibs or nuts.
  8. Bake another 5 minutes. Test for ready-ness by poking a toothpick in the brownie (if it comes out clean, they’re ready)
  9. Let cool, then slice into desired sizes
  10. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze them then take them to-go straight from the freezer!

 

The Perfect Smoothie Bowl

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The secret to the perfect smoothie bowl?

 

Creativity, nutrient-dense ingredients, experimentation and love.

Simple right?

I make smoothie bowls for breakfast, lunch, even dinner sometimes on those lazy but clean-feelin’ days. What could be easier?

Why eat your smoothie with a spoon???

Smoothies are amazing, but usually they slide down the hatch too fast.

The digestion process for carbohydrates (which include fruits and vegetables) starts in your mouth. The process of chewing creates saliva with the necessary digestive enzyme, amylase to begin the breakdown process of carbohydrates. So, the more you chew your food, the more surface area it creates, and the more easily digested and assimilated your nutrients are. This is why it is extremely important to slow down, chew as much as possible, and breathe between your bites. Good digestion leads to weight loss, efficient nutrient absorption, more energy, less bloating, and the prevention of disease. YAY for all of that.

So, it’s great to create smoothie bowls, rather than downing a smoothie, because this forces you to slow down your consumption, and actually chew your smoothie one spoonful at a time! Plus, it’s even more satisfying to have that spoon to mouth action.

If you just don’t have the time to create and devour a bowl of smoothie goodness, then just take it in a to-go cup and remember to chew it before you gulp it.

Go for it and switch up the ingredients for a variety of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Just stick to these proportions and you’ll have the best bang for your nutrient buck, plus a delish smoothie bowl every time!

Why are smoothies SO AMAZING?

  1. They’re the easiest way to hide a salad-worth of greens on yourself.
  2. They are pretty much a delicious tasting, massive multivitamin.
  3. They still contain the fibre and water from the whole-food ingredients they’re made of.

TIPS:

  1. Pack your blender with as many greens as possible (for the easiest blending, put these in first, so they are pressed down with the other ingredients).
  2. Use the fruit as a way to mask any bitterness of the greens.
  3. If you’re on the run and need to make it into a smoothie – just fill the blender up 3/4 of the way with water, pour it into your to-go cup, and add in something like cacao nibs, seeds, buckwheat groats, to chew on. This is a great way to get in the habit of chewing your smoothies.

 

Proportions for a nutrient-dense, tasty smoothie bowl:

  • Packed greens = 3/4 of the blender  (spinach, kale, romaine, celery, cucumber)
  • 2 ripe frozen bananas (add a couple more if you want a soft ice cream consistency, or need more sweetness and calories)
  • 1-2 cups of berries
  • Water or plant-based milk = 1/8 of the blender
  • 1 tbsp of your favourite greens powder (optional)

Use your blender’s tamper while you blend it up to help move things along and become smooth.

Optional 1 tbsp add-ins to blend:

~ Ginger: immune-booster and antibacterial (about 1 cm thumb fresh, or 1 tsp powder)

~ Turmeric: nature’s best anti-inflammatory (about 1 cm thumb fresh or 1 tsp powder)

~ Molasses: for hair, nails, bones and iron levels (about 1 tbsp)

~ Adaptogenic herbs like maca, astragalus, ashwaganda, shisandra, rhodiola: all of these restore your body by bringing it back to homeostasis/balance after stress (about 1 tbsp)

~ Medicinal mushroom powders: high in antioxidants and healing properties (about 1 – 2 tsp)

~ Spirulina and/or Chlorella: micro algae packed with protein, anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties (about 1 tsp)

~ Lucuma powder: maple-tasting and packed with minerals and vitamin A (about 1-2 tbsp)

TOP IT OFF

aka

‘make it pretty’:

-Hemp seeds

-Shredded coconut

-Chia seeds

-Pumpkin seeds

-Chopped fruit (banana, pear, persimmon, kiwi, fresh figs….)

-Chopped nuts (brazil nut for selenium is my fave)

-Cacao nibs (for a serotonin and antioxidant-boost)

-Buckwheat groats (for a protein punch and some crunch)

-Rolled oats

–Jules Fuel (my pre-made superfood quinoa breakfast oatmeal)

 

Happy smoothie chewing!

Strawberry Cacao ‘Cheeze’ Cake | Raw & Vegan

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Devouring a dense piece of chocolaty cheese cake doesn’t have to be a complete guilt ridden experience.

If you’re new to this vegan thing, or just want an alternative to the typical heavy duty New York style cheese cake, this has got to be the best way to get your fix.


Simple, raw decadence made up of nutrient-dense whole food ingredients.

I say, WHAT!?  Yes, Please.

Not only that, but even your traditional egg and milk baking grandmother would be impressed.

This pie is perfect for a birthday shindig, or why not the upcoming day for Dad? Father’s Day is just around the corner…

I put it to the test, and the guys in my family go gaga over this one, so I know the ones in yours will devour it too.

All you need to do is blend the crust…

…press it…

…blend the filling…

…then spread it…

Don’t forget to dip some apple slices in there for the clean up crew…

…blend the strawberries… pour it…

and freeze it!

Benefits:

-Cacao is the raw form of chocolate that offers an abundance of cancer-fighting antioxidants. Plus it’s known as a endorphin booster. There’s a reason why we go to chocolate when we’re stressed out. But, make it the pure form of chocolate and you’ll be better off and feeling fine.

-Strawberries are packed with phytonutrients, antioxidants and tons of vitamin C! 

 

Strawberry Cacao ‘Cheeze’ Cake | Raw & Vegan

Serves: 8-10 people

Time: 4 hours soaking time, 15 minutes prep, 1 hour chill time

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1 cup oats (gluten free if needed)
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1 cup pitted dates (if they are very dry, soak 10 minutes then strained)
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Filling:

  • 2 cups cashews (soaked minimum 4 hours, then strained)
  • 1 banana
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil (if solid, melt first into liquid)
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup cacao powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Strawberry Sauce:

  • 1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed

Optional Topper:

  • Fresh strawberries, sliced

Directions:

  1. Make Crust: in food processor, blend oats, almonds and coconut together until meal consistency, Add in dates and blend until cookie dough like consistency.
  2. Press crust into spring form pan (7-9 inch diameter) into an even layer
  3. Make Filling: blend all filling ingredients together in food processor
  4. Pour filling into spring form pan and spread out evenly with spatula
  5. Make Strawberry Sauce: blend strawberries with the thawed liquid in your blender
  6. Pour the strawberry sauce evenly over the chocolate filling
  7. Chill in the freezer for at least 1 hour
  8. Take out of the freezer about 30 minutes before serving, so you can cut through the strawberry layer. Serve with fresh strawberries and/or coconut whipped cream used in the Tarte Tatin recipe!

Green Machine Curried Zucchini Hummus

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Hummus.

What does hummus mean to you?

… dipping deliciousness. Not just a tiny bowl of deliciousness, but a massive one. There’s something about dipping your food into yumminess that never gets old.

Sometimes your usual chickpea hummus feels too heavy to dip endlessly. That’s why I love this version of hummus.

It’s lighter, greener, and even more dip-able.

It even goes beyond dipping. Use this for pasta or glory bowl sauce, or bring that sandwich to the next level.

This recipe is inspired by the raw food certification I recently finished, taught by Joanne from The Healing Cuisine at Stay Wild Natural Health. 

What an awesome course! We learned about all the raw food goodness.

Fermentation, nut cheeses, raw crackers, dips, sauces, desserts… OH MY.

Eating your food raw means you’re keeping all of the raw enzymes and vital nutrients live and more easily available. Cooking over 118 degrees degrades the nutrient density of most foods. So, the more raw food you can get into your body, the happier your digestion, your immunity, your hormones, & your whole body will be.

Here’s to high vibrating foods.

Benefits:

~ Zucchini, it’s got potassium for your heart, fibre & water & minimal calories for weight loss, vitamin C for your immune system, and vitamin A for your eyes.

~ Sesame seeds are packed with antioxidant, zinc, and calcium which are great for bone health. The calcium also helps combat migraines and PMS symptoms.

~ Curry powder  is great for the prevention of cancer,  heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Plus it eases pain and inflammation, enhances your immunity, and boosts bone health.

Serves: 4-6

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 large zucchinis (about 2.5 cups), chopped
  • 3/4 cup sesame seeds
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced (or pressed with garlic press)
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

  1. Blend sesame seeds, nutritional yeast and curry powder into a flour texture
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients, and blend until smooth (scraping down the sides and using a tamper when needed)
  3. Serve with your favourite raw veggies and crackers.

Spring Clean Pesto Zoodles

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It’s Spring time.

The birds are chirpin’, the days are longer, the cleanses are happening and the bikinis are coming out of the closet.

If you’re looking for a light, yet satisfying dinner, you have come to the right place. Load up on these veggies and give yourself a pat on the back.

This dish is a mega nutrient boost all wrapped up in a healthy, satisfying, creamy dressing.

Eat as much as you can of these goods, because every ingredient in here is is packed with benefits for your body.

The spiralized zucchini noodles are super low calorie, super high nutrient, with tons of fibre and water.

These ratios, my friends, are the perfect ratios for getting that bod bikini ready.

Count nutrients, not calories……. Eat whole foods, not processed.

And you’ll be energized and laughin!

I kept it simple for you; no need to turn the stove on.

All of the veggies can be roasted together without oil while you make the sauce and spiralize your noodles. That’s it that’s all.

This is a great recipe to double, so you’ll have leftovers for your lunches, dinners, made into wraps, fed to your neighbour, you name it.

Benefits:

~ Zucchini is great for weight loss. It’s high fibre and high water content, along with the dose of nutrients and vitamins help you feel full and satisfied, despite the low calorie count. It’s also disease fighting with it’s Vitamin C and beta-carotene content.

~ Basil is packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. It also contains essential oils that help lower inflammation (the cause of most diseases). The phytochemicals are cancer-fighting. Plus, basil acts as an adaptogen, which means it combats stress and helps your body come back to balance (homeostasis).

~ Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that has sulfur-containing elements. These are known for their cancer fighting properties! It also aids in weight loss, balances blood pressure, boosts brain power, and is great for your hair and bones.

Spring Clean Pesto Zoodles

Serves: 2 + left over cashew pesto

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Roasted Veggies:

  • 2 heads of broccoli
  • 1 large yam
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 5 white mushrooms
  • 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1-2 tbsp garlic powder

Cashew Pesto:

  • 1 cup cashews, soaked for 2 hours in 2 cups water, then strained and rinsed
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp chives, minced
  • 2 tbsp red onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 cup basil (loosely packed)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • pinch of salt

Base:

  • 1 large zucchini (you could also use yam, butternut squash, daikon, kelp noodles, or your favourite pasta noodles!)

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 390F
  2. Roast veggies: spread yams on one sheet, and broccoli, onions and mushrooms on another. Sprinkle on some balsamic vinegar and garlic powder. Give it a mix, and put it in the oven.
  3. For yams: roast 30 minutes, flipping half-way
  4. For others: roast 20 minutes, flipping half-way
  5. Make cashew pesto: add all ingredients to blender, blend until smooth
  6. Spiralize your zucchini (favourite part)
  7. Assemble your dish and enjoy!