Vegan Protein Cookie Dough (Gluten-free)

A while back, I received an email from a company called Simply Stevia. 

Simply Stevia is a company that sells stevia products. If you don't know what stevia is, it is a natural sweetener that comes directly from the Stevia Plant. Research shows that stevia is helpful in treating multiple health conditions, aiding people with weight loss, and even treating diabetes. In cooking, stevia is used as a non-caloric sweetener and flavor enhancer.

The stevia from Simply Stevia is of really high quality. I loved that it wasn't too grainy and had the perfect amount of sweet to it. (They also sell liquid stevia.)

They asked me if I would be interested in some free product in exchange for a few recipes in which I used their stevia. I was pretty excited. I couldn't decide on a flavor for them to send, so they graciously sent me a box of their mixed flavors, which includes Peach, Caramel Delicioso, Pomegranate, Natural, Mixed Berries, Valencia Orange, and Mango.

The first thing I did was use the stevia in my morning herbal tea. It was really tasty. I am a lover of Bengal Spice herbal tea from Celestial Seasonings. I put boiling water in a large mug, steeped the tea bag in the water for about 5 minutes, then removed the tea bag and stirred in one packet of Caramel Delicioso Stevia and about 1/8 cup almond milk. The flavor combination of the cinnamon, cloves, ginger, vanilla, and Caramel Delicioso was divine.

After that, I wanted to experiment a little bit. I looked in my pantry and grabbed a can of chickpeas and oats. My body was craving one thing and one thing only: cookie dough.

After mixing together the chickpeas, oats, peanut butter, almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon, Caramel Delicioso Stevia, and chocolate chips, I knew my task was complete. 

Oh my GOODNESS GRACIOUS...

My cookie dough was perfect. Now I just needed to roll them into cute little bite-sized pieces.

My work here was done.

Vegan Protein Cookie Dough

gluten-free

about 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I used one 15 oz. can)

4 Tablespoons natural peanut butter

3 Tablespoons oats 

1/4 cup almond milk

2-3 packets Caramel Delicioso Stevia

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

3 dashes ground cinnamon

1/4 to 1/2 cup chocolate chips (vegans: use semi-sweet)

1. In a food processor, pour in the drained and rinsed chickpeas. Process for about 5 seconds. Add in the peanut butter and oats. Process for 15 seconds. Pour in the almond milk, Caramel Delicioso Stevia, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Process until smooth, for about 30 or so seconds. 
2. Make sure to taste-test your cookie dough at this point. Add in any more stevia or cinnamon that you need. 
3. Throw in about half of the chocolate chips and process into the cookie dough for about 20 seconds. Remove the cookie dough from the food processor and stir in the other half of the chocolate chips. (You can also choose to add in more oats here.)
4. Roll the cookie dough into bite-sized pieces or eat with a spoon straight from the container. :)  
5. Store in the fridge covered with plastic wrap or in a zippie.

Gluten-free Banana Bars with Salted Caramel Frosting

Last week, it was my close friend's wedding reception. When she asked me to make her wedding cake, I could have not been happier. The only catch was that the cake couldn't contain gluten or chocolate (she is allergic to both).

But I was up for the challenge. Due to my intolerance to wheat and dairy, I have had plenty of experience baking all sorts of gluten-free/dairy-free sweet treats in the kitchen. (Not a lot of gluten-free wedding cakes, though.)

I ended up making a vanilla gluten-free wedding cake with a peanut butter filling and a salted caramel frosting. It turned out to be quite beautiful. Definitely one of my favorites: click here for more of my wedding cakes.

Long story short, I had plenty of leftover salted caramel frosting. And what do you do when you are overrun with overripe bananas? Banana bars of course. The combination sounded perfect!

Gluten-free Banana Bars

1 cup white sugar

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 large)

1/3 cup vegetable oil (or coconut oil)

2 eggs

1 cup gluten-free flour mix (I prefer 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill GF all purpose and 1/2 cup white rice flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder (GF certified)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

a pinch of xanthan gum

1. Heat your oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 9x13-inch glass baking dish, with shortening (or coconut oil). In large bowl (or your stand mixer), mix together sugar, bananas, oil and eggs. 
2. Stir in the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the xanthan gum. Spread in pan.
3. Bake the bars for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely and then top with salted caramel frosting.

Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter (I used dairy-free margarine), softened

1/4 + teaspoon salt (add more to your liking)

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon milk (if needed)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon rum extract

1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

1. In a bowl whip butter for 10 seconds. Beat in powdered sugar, until blended. Add the extracts (and milk) and beat until smooth and creamy.
2. Spread onto banana bars.

granola balls (gluten-free, dairy-free)

So let's just say that I am kind of, a little bit, maybe...obsessed with these.

I make them once a week.

I really love them...and it's a bit ridiculous.

I have been making granola bars for a few years now, and I am always trying to perfect my already "perfected" recipe. Yeah, kind of pathetic. Oh well. But truly, this one is divine.

Yesterday I got vaccinated for Tetanus. Do you know that you have to get it every 5 years? I didn't. Since I am going to be teaching 5th grade this year (in like 2 days! ah!), I had to get it. After sticking me with the needle, they handed me a sheet of paper that listed all the possible risks and problems following the vaccine. "You may experience a fever over 102 degrees F, headache, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and swelling of the entire arm..." Blah, blah, blah. I tossed it in my bag and forgot about it. Until about 2 o'clock this morning. I woke up with a fever and chills, my body was achy, and I was a vomit machine. (Hmmm...how do you like that mental image?) Needless to say, I was sick as a dog all day. And my chances of getting sick? 1 out of 300. Lucky me.

The only thing I could keep down were these little guys. Thank the stars for 'em.

And who doesn't love a granola ball - making party?

Every couple weeks, I get together with my favorite girls and we have a blast whether it's shopping, making granola bars/balls, or just chatting. 

Every girl deserves a girls night every once in a while. :)

Granola Balls

gluten-free, dairy-free


2 cups oats (gluten-free certified, if preferred)
2 cups puffed rice cereal
1/2 cup raisins (or dried cranberries or chocolate chips)
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar (or sucanat)
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, mix together rice cereal, oats, and raisins. 
2. In a smaller bowl, stir together honey, sugar, and peanut butter, and heat in microwave until warm and slightly bubbly (about 30 seconds). Remove bowl from microwave and give the mixture a good stir. Place back in microwave and warm for another 30ish seconds. Remove and stir in vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Pour peanut butter mixture over dry cereal mixture. Mix well. Wet your hands with cold water. Grab a palm-ful of granola and form into a ball, making sure to apply as much pressure as you can so the ball does not fall apart. Continue to do this until all the granola mixture is formed into balls. (This recipe will make about 25 granola balls.)
4. Place the granola balls into a large ziploc baggie and store them in the freezer or fridge. This will help them last longer.

*Feel free to make all sorts of flavor combinations. A really good one is Nutella Granola Balls. Simply omit the raisins, peanuts, brown sugar, peanut butter, salt, and cinnamon. Mix together 1 cup Nutella with a few spoonfuls of warmed honey and vanilla. Pour that over the dry cereal/oat mixture and mix well. Form into balls, place in a large ziploc baggie and freeze/refrigerate until ready to eat.

slow cooker chicken quinoa chili

This past week, my husband and I were in Minnesota for a family reunion. We meet every two years and have a blast playing games, talking, getting competitive in volleyball, and of course--eating. Since my family is so huge, we have to rent out some pretty big cabins to fit us all in. This year was awesome because there was a lake right next to our cabins. And who doesn't like to freeze their butt off in the ice cold water?! Am I right?

Basically, the entire time we were there it was chilly. We were even cooped up for two days in the cabin because of the rain. But heck, it was still a lot of fun.

I thought I had escaped the cold when we left the cabin this morning, but not so. As of now, I am sitting in the Kansas City airport with my husband, waiting for our connecting flight to Salt Lake City. And guess what? It's freezing here! Come on summer--show yourself!

All this cold weather got me thinking about soup and chili. Then I realized that I haven't posted this recipe yet--and it's one of my favorites. Slow Cooker Chicken Quinoa Chili.

Slow Cooker Chicken Quinoa Chili

gluten-free, dairy-free

3 (14 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can of chili beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can of corn, drained
2 cups chicken broth
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (uncooked)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2-3 teaspoons chili powder
salt, to taste
hot sauce, to taste (if you like it spicy)
1 cup of uncooked quinoa, rinsed
toppings of your choice (avocados, cilantro, lime, sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips)
cooked brown or white rice (optional)

1. After you rinse the quinoa, add everything into a 6 quart slow cooker. Simply stir and put on the lid.
2. Cook on low (for 6-8 hours) or on high (4-6 hours). If you're using frozen chicken you may have to cook it longer.
3. After chicken is cooked, remove it and shred it (two forks work great). Return shredded chicken to slow cooker. Either turn off slow cooker or leave on low, until chili is ready to serve and eat.
4. Serve with your preferred toppings and/or cooked rice.

My husband and I ate this on top of rice. However, if you are eating it on top of rice, you can choose to omit the quinoa from the chili.



*This recipe is adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

acai bowls (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan)

 

Acai bowls are my favorite.

When I lived in Hawaii, I lived on acai bowls and shave ice from Matsumoto's.

After spending all day on the beach, I was always in the need for something fruity and fresh.

And these were the perfect solution.

Usually I make my acai berry mix in the blender, but this time I tried it in the food processor, and worked out even better.

It's all about the layering: acai berry smoothie, granola, sliced bananas, and a drizzle of honey.

Perfecto.

Acai Bowls

gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan

serves about 2-3 people

1 pack frozen pure acai (I like the Sambazon smoothie packs)

8 ounces (about 1 cup) frozen mixed berries

1/2 to 1 cup almond milk (or apple juice)

1 banana

1 to 2 tablespoons sweetener (brown sugar, honey, or stevia)

Toppings: sliced banana, sliced strawberries, granola (I used my homemade blueberry granola), honey

1. Combine acai, berries, and almond milk (or juice) in a blender (or food processor) and blend well. Blend in a banana, until smooth. Mix in sweetener, until you reach the sweet taste you prefer. The mixture should be quite thick. 
2. In a bowl, pour in the smoothie. Next, top with granola and sliced bananas (or any other fruit). At last, drizzle with honey.
3. Eat in complete happiness.

strawberry lemonade cupcakes (gluten-free)

All you ready need for strawberry lemonade cupcakes are some strawberries...

and lemons...

...oh, and maybe some cupcakes.

And frosting, of course.

What is summer? Summer is laying out in your swimsuit, running through the sprinklers, eating a drippy popsicle, wearing no shoes outside, and riding your bicycle in the warm evening air...

These cupcakes are the epitome of summer. They are sweet, tangy, fresh, light, and fun.

If you are feeling sad, eat one of these cupcakes, and I promise you that your day will seem brighter and happier.

I pinky swear.

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes 

gluten-free

can be dairy-free

1 cup sugar

6 Tbl. butter (for dairy free, use coconut oil or Earth Balance)

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mix (1/2 cup brown rice sugar, 1/2 cup white rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca starch)

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup milk (for extra lemon flavor: 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice + 1/4 and 1/8 cup milk; for dairy free, use almond milk)

grated zest of 2 lemons

2 dashes of xanthan gum

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter (or coconut oil/Earth Balance) and sugar until fluffy. Mix in eggs. Add vanilla. 
3. In a bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients by increments. Stir in milk. Add in lemon zest. Stir well. At last, stir in xanthan gum. 
4. Pour batter into cupcake liners. Bake for 15-20 minutes. (Make sure to keep an eye on them.) Cupcakes will be done when they turn a light golden color. Insert a toothpick into the center cupcake; if it comes out clean, then the cupcakes are done. 
5. Cool cupcakes for a few minutes and then remove them from the cupcake pan and allow them to cool on a wire rack. 
6. When they are completely cool, go ahead and frost them with my Strawberry Lemonade Frosting (see below).

Strawberry Lemonade Frosting

1/2 cup butter (for dairy free, use Earth Balance)

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

3-4 strawberries

2 Tbl. frozen lemonade concentrate, at room temperature (or 2 Tbl. milk  *see alteration below)

1. Before you start making the frosting, chop up the strawberries. (You can also puree them in a food processor, which I did--and I recommend it).
2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter (or Earth Balance) until it is smooth. Add the powdered sugar, in increments. Add in salt and vanilla. 
3. Stir in the chopped (or pureed) strawberries.
4. Stir in the lemonade concentrate. At this point, you will want to whip the frosting very quickly, until it looks light and fluffy.
5. Cool frosting for a few minutes in the fridge, give it a good stir, and then frost your cupcakes!

*The citrus in the lemonade concentrate may cause the frosting to curdle a little, so you can choose to replace the lemonade concentrate with milk. To add in lemon flavor to the frosting (with added milk), you can simply garnish the frosted cupcakes with lemon zest or you can brush the top of the cupcakes with lemonade concentrate before frosting them. Personally, I think the frosting is perfect with the lemonade concentrate added in. If you look at the picture below, you will see that the frosting looks normal (and it tastes amazing). In my opinion, the added lemonade concentrate makes the frosting what it is. (Note: the pictures above and the one below were made with two different frosting recipes. Obviously, my first frosting recipe from the cupcakes pictured above didn't turn out as well as this one...)

click here to see my original strawberry lemonade cupcakes.

white chicken chili, cornbread, and apple crisp

I love hanging out with family.

I have found that when family lives close, I always say: "Oh, I will have plenty of time to see them!" and thus postpone going for a visit. And before you know it, they're gone. 

My baby brother lived in Utah for a year and is now gone serving a mission in Panama.

While I am happy he is there, I really miss him.

When my grandpa died, I was filled with remorse for not going to see him more.

I was devastated knowing that my husband would never know him for the fun, outgoing, jolly grandpa that he was. And that kills me inside.

I don't like living with regrets, especially when I could have done something to change the future.

I think this quote by Georgia O'Keefe is perfect for what I am trying to express...

"Nobody sees a flower--really--it is so small it takes time--we haven't time--and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time." 

--Georgia O'Keefe

And this quote by Dieter F. Uchtdorf always makes me think twice about how I am living my life...

"I pray that we will not wait until we are ready to die before we truly learn to live."

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Basically, I miss my family.

A while back, Devin and I had dinner with two of my brothers: Isaac and Seth. We ate white chicken chili, cornbread, and apple crisp (see the first picture). It was a fun night. I miss my brothers. Every once in a while, it's okay to reminisce on the past. I believe that it's healthy to remember the good times.

White Chicken Chili

gluten-free, can be dairy-free

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1/2 lb.)

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal (gluten-free)

1/4 cup milk (dairy-free if preferred)

1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (oil or margarine works as well)

2 green bell peppers, chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, minced

1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles

2 (14-oz) cans white beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through and no pink remains. Drain water; allow chicken to cool. When cool, shred with two forks and set aside.
2. Combine the cornmeal and milk in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Melt the butter (or oil/margarine) in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the bell peppers, onions, and jalapenos and sauté until soft, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Add the green chiles, beans, broth, spices and salt, and shredded chicken to the pot. Stir to combine and bring to a low boil. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
5. Add the cornmeal and milk mixture. Simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes to thicken.

Thank you Nicole for this recipe!

Gluten-free Cornbread

gluten-free, refined-sugar free, can be dairy-free

1 cup rice flour (1/2 cup white rice flour, 1/2 cup brown rice flour)

3/4 cup stone-ground cornmeal

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup honey, melted

1/2 to 3/4 cup milk (almond milk works great)

1/4 cup melted butter (or margarine)

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1. Grease an 8x8 baking dish (glass or metal). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.
3. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients (eggs, honey, milk, and melted butter). Add this to the dry ingredients. Stir until moistened and no longer lumpy. Add in the xanthan gum.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes. It will be done when a wooden toothpick comes out clean. 
5. Serve warm with cinnamon vanilla honey butter (recipe below).

Cinnamon Vanilla Honey Butter

1 stick butter (1/2 cup), softened

1/4 cup honey, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-3 dashes of ground cinnamon

1. In a small bowl, stir together butter and honey. Mix well, until there are no longer clumps. Add in vanilla and cinnamon.
2. Place the bowl in the freezer and allow honey butter to harden (about 1 hour). Scoop honey butter into food processor and whip on high. 
3. Place whipped honey butter back into small bowl and serve with warm cornbread. Store in fridge.

Apple Crisp

gluten-free, can be dairy free

5 apples, peeled/cored/sliced (Macintosh, Jonagold, or Granny Smith work well)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

a dash of nutmeg (optional)

3/4 cup rolled oats (gluten-free)

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. In a mixing bowl, combine apples and lemon juice. Toss together.
3. Pour sliced apples into baking dish.
4. In a bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and oatmeal in a bowl. Cut in the butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples.
5. Place in oven and bake for 25-35 minutes, until topping looks crunchy and golden brown, and apples are tender. (Keep an eye on it!)
6. Serve with homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

white chocolate rice krispie treats

I cannot express to you how much I love these. 

The first time I ate one was during teacher appreciation week.

It was love at first bite.

When it comes to regular rice krispie treats, I can only eat one.

When it comes to these guys, I can't stop at just one.

They are so good.

White Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

gluten-free

3-4 tablespoons butter
1 bag large marshmallows (10 oz)
5-6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (gluten-free)
1 to 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

1. Butter an 9x13 glass baking dish.
2. In a large pot, melt the butter. Add the marshmallows. Melt marshmallows over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Stir until smooth. Turn off the burner.
3. Pour the Rice Krispies into the warm marshmallow mix. Stir well. 
4. Immediately add the white chocolate chips. Stir until melted.
5. Press the Rice Krispies mixture into a buttered dish, using slightly wet hands. 
6. Cool. Slice into squares.