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Pink Banana Oat Pancakes with Maple Cacao Drizzle

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Que the Jack Johnson and bring on Sunday morning! ….And with Valentine’s Day in our midst, then you’re in luck, because we’re flauntin’ the pink today with these banana oat pancakes!

These pancakes are so simple it’s stupid.

Toooo easy not to make and packed with whole-food ingredients.

That’s what I’m all about.

Top it off with a cacao maple drizzle, serve it to your Valentine, and be ready for a proposal.

It’s all about tha base bout’ tha base (que song here).

I’m talking about just 3 ingredients: ripe bananas + oat flour + plant milk.

Vanilla and cinnamon are always a must when I’m whipping up some flapjacks, so we’ll throw some of that in there, too.

Once you have that blended up, feel free to get creative.

Today, with love in the air, I went with beet powder + vegan chocolate chips!

Maybe tomorrow calls for antioxidant boosters, turmeric + blueberries (bonus recipe below).

The next day… Cacao powder + raisins? Maca powder + strawberries?

What ever that artist within comes up with, your pancake will no doubt be delicious and ready before Jack finishes off his guitar solo.

Easiest Banana Oat Pancakes | 2 Ways with Cacao Maple Drizzle
 
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Easy Banana Oat Pancakes with a Valentines Flare!
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 2 cups of oats (gluten-free if needed)
  • 3 bananas, spotty and ripe
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp beet powder (order from Organic Matters or Amazon)
  • ½ cup chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)
  • ½-3/4 cup almond milk
Instructions
  1. Add oats to blender. Blend into a flour
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients, except chocolate chips, blend until smooth
  3. Gently chocolate chips into the batter (or sprinkle on top after flipping the pancakes)
  4. Heat a pan on low heat (level 2-3)
  5. Spoon pancakes into pan and cook for 3-4 minutes (until you see little bubbles appearing)
  6. Flip, then cook for another 2 minutes
  7. Meanwhile make the cacao maple drizzle by whisking together the cacao and maple syrup until well combined!
  8. Go the extra mile and serve it up with Coco Whip(and fruit and drizzle!)

Tag @hookedonplants on instagram if you make these! I love seeing your recipes 🙂

Another option!

Turmeric Blueberry Banana Pancakes

Serves: 2

Making time: 3-5 minutes

Cooking time: 6 minutes per batch

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups oats (gluten free if needed)
  • 3 bananas, spotty and ripe
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 thumb turmeric root (about 2 cm long) OR 1 tsp turmeric spice
  • 1 tiny pinch black pepper (for turmeric absorption)
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1/2-3/4 cup almond milk

Directions:

  1. Add oats to blender. Blend into a flour
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients, except blueberries, blend until smooth
  3. Mix blueberries into batter
  4. Heat pan on low heat (level 2-3)
  5. Spoon pancakes into pan and cook for 3-4 minutes (until you see little bubbles appearing)
  6. Flip, then cook for another 2 minutes
  7. Pour over maple syrup and top with fruit
  8. Go the extra mile and pour over some delicious chocolate sauce from the Hot For You Bites chocolate layer

Mind-Blowing Multi-Purpose Vegan Cheese Sauce (Nut-Free)

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This nut-free vegan cheese sauce may be the answer to all of your cheezy needs.

If nutty vegan cheese is too heavy for you to digest but you still want to curb that cheezy craving for all the things, you’ve come to the right place.

That cheezy pasta, or that cheezy dip for your chips, or that cheezy sauce all over your broccoli…

There’s not a thing in this world that I wouldn’t put this stuff on…well ok, maybe that’s a bit extreme.

While I may not douse my oatmeal or chocolate cake in this goodness…this stuff is still magic.

While surfin’ the waves of the inter web, you’ll come across vegan cheese sauce recipes based on cashews, sunflower seeds, or beans. This one, however, puts the veggie kingdom on the pedestal.

That’s right. Carrots and cauliflower can magically turn into cheese sauce. It’s possible, and it’s delicious.

What I love about this is sauce that you can devour a ton of it with zero guilt. It’s packed with nutrients + fibre, yet low in calories and fat. Sometimes the sauces made from nuts (as delicious as they are), can be a little heavy, ya know?

Vegan Cheese Sauce

To create a simple + yum pasta, just cook up your fave noodles, pan sear, then chop up some vegan sausages (the Gusta or Field Roast brands are yum), steam some broccoli florets, then mix everything together with this sauce. Top it all off with green onion and vegan parmesano (make this easy parm recipe, or find yourself some amazing Violife cheese to grate)!

Benefits:

  • Cauliflower is super nutritious, so don’t let the lack of colour fool ya’. This white magic is packed with folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin B6. Plus, it’s a cruciferous vegetable, aka a cancer-fighting super veg with a good dose of antioxidants.
  • Carrots are known for their mega-dose of beta-carotene (an antioxidant that our body converts into vitamin A). What this means for you, is healthy skin and mucus membranes, a stronger immune system, and better eye health and vision.
  • Miso paste is an awesome addition, not only for the flava, but also because it’s fermented. Fermented foods do wonders for your gut aka microbiome aka microflora. This is where most of our bacteria lives! Since around 1/10 of our cells are human and 9/10 of our cells are bacteria, we’ve got to keep these bacterial cells happy by feeding them fermented foods. Eat that miso up.

Mind Blowing Vegan Cheese Sauce (without nuts)

Mind-Blowing Vegan Cheese Sauce (No Nuts)
 
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This nut-free, vegan sauce is a light option for that cheezy comfort food feel. It's perfect for pasta or a dip with veggies and chips!
Author:
Recipe type: Comfort Food, dinner, lunch, appetizer
Serves: 5 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
  • 6 carrots, chopped
  • ¾ cup nutritional yeast
  • ½ large sweet onion, diced (or 1 tbsp onion powder)
  • 2 cloves garlic (or 1 tbsp garlic powder)
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp miso paste
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ⅛ tsp smoked paprika (optional, but gives it a nice smokey flavour)
  • 1 cup plain almond milk (or any other plain plant-based milk)
Instructions
  1. Steam the cauliflower and carrots until soft (about 10 minutes)
  2. Meanwhile, (unless you're using onion and garlic powder), oil-free sauté the onion and garlic for about 7 minutes. Heat the element to medium, then add the chopped onions and garlic. Let the bottom of the pan brown, then add 1-2 tbsp of water to de-glaze the pan. As the onions cook, continue adding bits of water to prevent sticking if needed
  3. Add the onion, steamed cauliflower, and carrots to the blender with the the rest of the ingredients
  4. Blend until smooth!
  5. If using as a dip, put in and oven safe dish and broil on high for 3 minutes.
  6. Or, mix in with pasta, pour over roasted veggies, or just eat it by the spoonful 😉

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Perfect French Fries | Crispy & Oil-Free

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Don’t be a afraid of the tater! Especially when they’re perfect french fries made right.

The poor potato has such a bad reputation.

I’m here to tell you: it’s not the potato’s fault, it’s the way humans have prepared it. Fryin’ it up into french fries or chips creates a saturated calorie bomb with all the wrong fats. Hydrogenated fat being the worst of them all.

The reason being,“hydrogenated fats are difficult for the body to “grab onto” and metabolize, and can neither be incorporated into cell structures nor excreted in the normal fashion. Thus, hydrogenated or “trans-” fats tend to remain “stuck” in blood circulation, becoming oxidized and most importantly, contributing significantly to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and possibly also cancer.” ~ World’s Healthiest Foods.com 

So, we go back to that simple fact that eating a food in it’s whole form is just the bomb dot com.

A potato is actually one of the most perfect foods around… if you eat it in it’s whole form as a potato, baked or boiled without any extra oils or deep fryin’.

Come as you are potato! Come as you are.

Of course, upping the anti and adding spices or healthy sauces to the experience makes the naked spud shine brighter than the best potato chip or french fry you’ve ever bought!

This can be done with sweet potatoes too! But, you might be surprise to know that they’re not much different in nutrition than the white potato!

My favourite way to eat these is in a boat. Get that romaine out, throw a fry in there, then take a dip.

Savoury heaven.

Benefits of potatoes:

  • packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre
  • no saturated fat, sodium or cholesterol
  • more potassium than a banana
  • a great source of vitamin B6 (for mood, brain function and eyesight),
  • magnesium is in these babies to reduce anxiety, plus relieve muscle aches and migraines
  • antioxidants are in there for combat disease and protect your cells from free radicals

 

Perfect French Fries | Crispy & Oil-Free
 
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These fries are crispy and completely guilt-free. Let's fall in love with the potato again in it's whole-food, naked form. This is a go-to simple dinner idea, or a great appetizer dish for a potluck.
Author:
Recipe type: dinner, appetizer
Cuisine: Canadian, potluck, simple
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 3-4 Russet potatoes
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt (optional)
  • (Get creative with your spices! These are good: curry, cumin, onion powder, tarragon)

  • Curry Ketchup Sauce:
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp maple syrup

  • 1 head romaine lettuce (optional)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F
  2. Chop potatoes into thick fry-shape slices
  3. Pour them into a zip-lock bag with the spices and shake shake shake until evenly coated (kitchen dancing recommended)
  4. Spread the fries evenly across a parchment or silicone mat- covered baking tray (if you want em' crisp, don't let them touch)
  5. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip each one over.
  6. Bake for another 15 minutes, or until you can see the golden brown edges puffing up
  7. Mix all sauce ingredients together
  8. Serve in a romaine leaf and dip it all in your sauce!

 

Mashed Potato Butternut Swirl | Vegan Holiday Side

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This vegan holiday side dish will match this Thanksgiving and Fall weather like slippers to your onsie.

Simple, comforting, fun to play with and sooooo good lookin’.

Holiday side dishes are usually packed with butter and cream to make them feel decadent. But, you can easily get the same kind of comfort from this low-fat, vegan beauty!

A perfect dish to bring to your family dinner this holiday season.

Personally, I like to keep the skins on any organic produce I have because that’s where TONS of the nutrients are found. But, if you’d like a brighter looking dish, feel free to peel the skins of the potatoes!

Benefits:

  • Sweet potatoes boost your immune system, smooth out your digestive system, ward of cancer, relieve arthritis, and are packed with vitamins and minerals. There’s a good reason centenarians base their diet around the sweet potato! Don’t be afraid of white or russet potatoes! They have incredible benefits too and are packed with fibre (they just get a bad reputation from the good old fried up version called the french fry, which isn’t so healthy)
  • Butternut squash is a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. It’s packed with fibre and low in fat, making it a great option for weight loss and heart health. It packed more potassium than bananas and a good dose of B6 for your nervous system.

 

Sweet Potato Butternut Swirl
 
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This is a beautiful side dish to bring to any dinner party, especially over the holidays for extra wow effect. It's simple, fancy looking and tastes like fall.
Author:
Recipe type: Thanksgiving, Holiday, Dinner, Side dish, Dinner
Cuisine: Holiday dinner
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 small (or ½ large) butternut squash, halved lengthwise
  • 5 white sweet potatoes, or russet potatoes
  • 1 cup unsweetened, plain almond milk (or soy, coconut, hemp)
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ spring fresh rosemary
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • A bit more rosemary for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Place butternut squash open half down on a parchment covered baking pan.
  3. Cut off the ends of the whole potatoes, then pierce them all over with a fork. Place them on a parchment covered baking pan.
  4. Slide both baking sheets into the oven and bake for 1 hour (or until you can pierce a fork through the squash and the sweet potatoes are oozing with deliciousness). Flip the potatoes half way.
  5. In blender or with hand blender, blend sweet potatoes, rosemary, ½ cup milk, garlic powder, nutritional yeast and salt until smooth.
  6. Pour ½ sweet potato mixture in serving dish, and half into a bowl on the side.
  7. Clean blender, then scoop out butternut squash. Blend squash, ½ cup milk and maple syrup until smooth.
  8. Pour ½ the butternut squash mixture onto the potato mixture in the serving dish. Layer it with the rest of the sweet potato mix you had put aside. Top it off with a layer of butternut squash mixture.
  9. With a spoon, stir several times in a clockwise motion without completely mixing the two colours.
  10. Garnish with a bit more rosemary.

 

Oil-Free Curry Roasted Chickpeas

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Sometimes you just need something savoury to crunch away at.

Chips are usually what we all turn to for that crunchy, salty, savoury craving cure. But, chips come with saturated fat, usually too much salt, and sometimes some pretty bad additives. Your body doesn’t thank you after downing a whole bag of chippies.

These little morsels, on the other hand, will cure that craving, and your body will sing hallelujah!

Oil-free, cholesterol-free, nutrient-dense and delicious!

A perfect road tripping snack too. I’ll be making a couple batches of these for my trip to Sin City this week.

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Las Vegas Baby! I’ve never been. We aren’t the type to vacation to cities… we usually are the ones planning adventure mountain bike, paddle board or tropical trips. But it’s been raining, there were cheap tickets, and there’s a first time for everything! I’ll let you know about it when I return… Or follow @juliamurrayski on Instagram for updates, and @hookedonplants for the vegan eats I find.

Just a few days of hot weather and good people watching before the winter season. Why not right?

Do you have any Vegas recommendations for me???

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OK, back to the crispy snacks.

Benefits:

Chickpeas have been used to treat high blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and pack that easily digestible plant-protein. Adding these or other legumes and beans to your diet with help you live longer with more energy!

Himalayan salt is the most pure salt you can use and is packed with minerals and vitamins (it even trumps sea salt, which also may have trace chemicals depending on the water source). Table salt, on the other hand, is stripped of it’s minerals and vitamins to a substance that is 95% sodium chloride and synthetic chemicals that will lead to high blood pressure, kidney damage, water retention and a whole lot more.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups pre-soaked and cooked chickpeas (or 1 large can drained and rinsed)
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp himalayan salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
  2. Pat down chickpeas with paper towel or tea towel until most of their moisture is off.
  3. Mix chickpeas in a bowl with lemon, spices and salt
  4. Spread evenly on parchment covered baking pan/cookie sheet
  5. Roast for 30-45 minutes (until crunchy), taking them out to shake around every 10 minutes.
  6. Watch close near the end so they don’t burn!
  7. Eat as a snack, or add them to soups, salads, or stews! (Like the spicy cabbage one below)

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