Pumpkin Spice Cookies

We haven't posted a dessert recipe in quite some time, but trust us when we say that this one was well worth the wait. Cookies may just be our favorite dessert to make... and eat (obviously). These pumpkin cookies were amazing and made our apartment smell heavenly. A combination of the cakey, melt-in-your-mouth texture and warm fall spices will leave your buds longing for more. The best part? They're both vegan and gluten free so feel free to indulge!  

*Makes approximately 12 cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp ground flax seed

1 tbsp warm water

1 1/4 cup oat flour (*gluten free)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp salt

4 tbsp butter or earth balance, softened

3/4 cup sugar (we used a blend of coconut sugar and brown sugar)

1/2 cup organic canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

Optional Mix-ins and Toppings:

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup mixed raisins

confectioners sugar for sprinkling 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• In a medium bowl, prepare flax eggs by mixing ground flax seed and water and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
• Add the butter, sugar, pumpkin puree and vanilla to flax eggs and cream together until smooth.
• Combine wet ingredients with flour mixture.
• Fold in nuts, raisins, a whole lot of love, and pretty much anything else that you want. 
• Scoop dough by the tablespoon onto a baking sheet prepped with parchment paper or non-stick cooking spray. 
• Pop the tray into the oven and patiently wait 15 minutes for your little pumpkin pillows to finish baking. 
• Transfer cookies to a wire rack and all to cool before sprinkling with confectioners sugar.
• Fight the urge to eat the whole tray.... but we totally won't judge you if you do.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Fall is finally upon us and we are kickstarting the month of October with this delicious pumpkin granola recipe. Eat it with milk, yogurt, on pancakes or even by itself! The nuts and raisins give the oats an extra boost, adding protein and keeping you fuller longer.

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts (we used walnuts and almonds)

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup golden raisins

~1/8 cup dried unsweetened coconut 

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup agave or honey

3 tbsp coconut oil 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Combine all dry ingredients and spices in a large bowl
• In a small microwavable bowl, combine coconut oil and agave. Microwave until melted and easy to pour
• Pour agave and oil mixture over the dry ingredients
• Finally, add the pumpkin. **We found it easiest to use a rubber spatula or even your hands to make sure all oats are coated evenly. 
• Pour oats onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat
• Toast oats in the oven for about 6 minutes before tossing. Bake for another 8 minutes or so, or until golden. Be sure to watch the oats so they do not burn! 
• Remove the tray from the oven and allow the granola to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight jar or container. 
• ENJOY! :) nom

Baked Banana Bread Oatmeal

OBSESSED with this recipe and that is an understatement. Banana bread for breakfast? Sounds good to us! We have been experimenting with different fruit combinations but the base of the recipe has remained the same. Feel free to get creative with your ingredients here, people! 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp agave or honey

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 mashed banana (about 1/3 cup)

1/3 cup almond milk

1 egg white

Optional Ingredients:

chopped walnuts

blueberries

extra banana slices

toasted coconut

Directions:

• Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl
• Fold in your choice of fruit or nuts
• Place mixture in a small ramekin or oven-safe baking dish
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until oatmeal is puffed

Banana Blueberry Walnut Pancakes

Bringing you another delicious breakfast recipe on this beautiful Friday! Fluffy, tasty, and super moist, these pancakes are a perfect way to start the weekend. Did we mention that they are also vegan and gluten free?! Made with oat flour and stuffed with fruit and yogurt, these yummy pancakes are sure to keep you satisfied for hours... (luckily for you, because there won't be any leftovers). Trust us when we tell you to make these pancakes... you can thank us later.

Ingredients:

2 overripe bananas 

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp milk of your choice 

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 flax eggs (or regular eggs if not vegan)

1 cup gluten free oat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1-2 tsp cinnamon (we really like cinnamon)

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

~1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Optional Toppings:

sliced bananas

blueberries

chopped walnuts

yogurt

agave

Directions:

• Combine mashed bananas, coconut oil, milk, vanilla, and flax eggs in a large bowl 
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg
• Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and fold in fresh blueberries and walnuts
• Cook pancakes over medium heat, flip, serve, and top as you desire! :)

Sweet Potato Quinoa Burgers

As the gorgeous weather approaches, we look for new delicious ways to enjoy spring and summer barbecues without meat! These veggie burgers are super filling and easy to prepare ahead of time, making them a go-to meal for weeknights. There are so many variations of vegan and vegetarian burgers sold in stores, but we have never tasted anything like these! Give them a shot, we know you won't regret it!


Ingredients:
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
2 small sweet potatoes (boiled)
1/2 cup canned beans (we chose white kidney beans and they worked perfectly!)
1 tbsp tahini sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute
1 tsp minced garlic
pinch of sea salt
pinch of black pepper
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (optional! but covering each patty in these breadcrumbs will create a super delicious crunchy layer!)

Optional Toppings:
hot sauce
balsamic glaze
avocado mash
raw veggies


Directions:

• Mash boiled sweet potatoes and white beans in a medium sized bowl, allowing some lumps to remain for texture.
• Add all spices to the bean/potato mash and mix until combined.
• Using a spatula, fold in the cooked quinoa.
• Form mixture into burger patties that measure to be a little smaller than the palm of your hand.
• Grill burgers on a barbecue or grill pan prepared with just a drop of olive oil.
• Serve burgers on your favorite gluten free buns, or on top of a bed of greens!  

Buckwheat Breakfast "Muffnuts" with Apple

         

(V, GF)

With the craziness of apartment hunting consuming our lives the past few weeks, we are very excited to get back into the kitchen! We hope to have some very delicious recipes for you guys in the next upcoming weeks as we dig into summertime!

Ingredient of the month?---Buckwheat Flour. Buckwheat is not a type of wheat or grain---it's actually part of a plant related to rhubarb! It's a great gluten free option, high in fiber and protein rich so it aids in weight loss. So in honor of mothers day (and because we just love healthy sweets) we baked up a buckwheat muffin/donut with apple, banana and sliced almonds. These were to die for! Try it with walnuts instead and you'll want to eat the whole batch! (:

Ingredients: (makes 6 donuts)

1/4 C buckwheat flour
2 TB ground flax meal
1/4 C coconut sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 mashed avocado
1/2 mashed banana
1/2 apple, peeled and diced
2 TB sliced almonds
6 TB water
dash of salt
agave for drizzle (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly spray a donut pan (you can also use a muffin pan, foil wrappers optional).
• Combine the flax meal and water into small dish and stir. Let sit for 3 minutes.
• Set aside the almonds and diced apple, combine the dry ingredients into a medium bowl. Mix.
• Add the flax meal/water mixture and the rest of the ingredients into the bowl. Whisk well until dough-like consistency.
• Lastly, add in the almonds (leave some aside for extra topping) and diced apple.
• Scoop batter into the donut dishes and drizzle with remaining almonds.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes until toothpick comes out dry.
• Add a drizzle of agave for an extra sweet surprise (:
• Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

This delicious concoction was derived from the Vitamix recipe found in their cookbook. They are an awesome company and we were so excited to be featured in one of their most recent Instagram posts!

We have been loving making our own hummus lately! Not only is it quick and easy, but it is such a simple way to save money! $$$

This hummus is packed with so much flavor and is a perfect spread on sandwiches, wraps, or even as a dip with fresh veggies and pretzels. For this recipe, you can use jarred roasted red peppers. We, however, chose to roast our own and the result was phenomenal!

Ingredients:
1 large red pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup tahini paste
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees, or broil
• Slice red pepper into 5 or 6 large pieces, place skin side up on a foil-lined baking sheet
• Roast under the broiler 10-15 minutes or until the skin is charred or beginning to turn black
• Remove baking sheet from oven and place pepper slices in a sealed container or bowl until the skin is easy to peel off, when ready, remove skin from peppers
• Place all ingredients in a powerful blender or food processor, reserving the smallest piece to slice and garnish the finished hummus
• Blend until smooth! If necessary, add water in small increments until desired consistency is reached
• SPREAD, DIP, MUNCH, ENJOY :)

Nutty Protein Bites

To prepare for our busy week of midterms, we whipped up a recipe for a protein-packed grab-&-go snack to keep us on track and away from "stress foods"--known as packaged snacks filled with countless 20-syllable ingredients that realistically won't give you the energy you need to survive midterms! We refuse to let school work interfere with our health & work-out goals so what better way than to pre-prepare healthy snacks! These protein-packed bites are a perfect post-workout snack when we have limited time to squeeze in a work-out, and they are made of wholesome ingredients packing 8 g. of protein per 2 bites! They're the perfect brain breakfast for your 8 am. midterm that, lets face it, you very-well may be late to.

Ingredients: serves 9---serving size: 2 bites

1/2 C. rolled oats
1/2 C. organic red quinoa, cooked
1 ripe banana, pureed
1/4 C. flax meal
1/4 C. sunflower seeds, chopped in a food processor
1/2 C. raw sliced almonds
VEGA ONE french vanilla protein powder (or any 1-scoop of protein powder!)
5 TB. quick egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TB. honey
1/4 C. Peanut Butter &Co. Crunch Time peanut butter
1 tsp. cinnamon


Directions:

• preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• I used a mini donut bite pan, but you could use a mini muffin pan. Spray with coconut oil.
• in a medium mixing bowl, add the quinoa, flax meal and rolled oats. Mix and put into a food processor and grind until flour-like consistency. Put mixture back in the bowl and add the protein powder. Mix together
• combine the ripe banana and egg whites in the processor and puree until smooth, then add to the mixture
• using the food processor, chop the sunflower seeds. Add to the mixture along with the almonds and cinnamon
• using your hands, mix all ingredients together
• add the vanilla, honey, and peanut butter and combine until it becomes a sticky dough
• (I like my bites crunchy, but if you want more of a moist consistency, add 1/4 C. almond or soy milk as well!)
• scoop 1 TB into each mini donut hole and top with a dash of cinnamon

• bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until lightly crisp! Don't overcook or they will be too dry!
• store in a sealed container and enjoy for the week (:

Nutrition Facts:

169 calories per serving

15 g. carbs

9 g. fat

8 g. protein

67 g. sodium

5 g. sugar

Fruity Frozen "Ice Cream"

I wish I had discovered this "trick your tastebuds" ice-cream recipe idea sooner. I have been seeing these frozen banana ice-cream recipes all over and I had to try it for myself. Ever since my first one, I am ADDICTED! The texture is so creamy, light & it's full of sweet flavor---and the best part, naturally! Try it for yourself, mix frozen fruits, or add some cocoa powder. I've done it all--you won't ever need to go back to heavy-filled artificially-sugared ice cream!

Ingredients:

1/2 Frozen ripe banana
1 frozen kiwi
1 TB PeanutButter&CO. Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter
2 TB plain greek yogurt
Topping: Emmy's Organics Raw Cocoa Coconut Buckwheat Super Cereal

Directions:

• Using a Vitamix, add all the ingredients into the blender
• pulse a few times, continuously scrapping the sides to the center until ice-cream like texture
• make sure not to over-blend so it stays thick!
• Enjoy the guilt-free AMAZING TASTE! 

Baked Eggs with Kale

Enjoy alongside avocado toast & fresh grapefruit, yum!

Sunday mornings are often for lounging, occasional attempts of homework--and then for us, cooking up new recipes! Making a creative breakfast is super important to us since traditional breakfast foods are often loaded with sugar or empty carbs leaving us hungry within the hour. If you can spare 20 minutes, this protein packed dish is the perfect serving size to get your morning started. This recipe calls for baking the egg which is a healthier option over frying it & healthy is always our goal. Plus, you'll be more likely to snack less before lunchtime thus avoiding those stomach-angry processed packaged foods. Fill your morning with goodness & the rest of your day will thank you for it (:

Ingredients: makes 1 ramekin (small dish)

1 egg
2 tsp almond milk
1-2 Baby Bella Mushrooms
1/4 C kale, rinsed and chopped (remove stems)
small handful chopped spinach
3-4 cherry tomatoes
1 tsp. fresh dill, chopped
goat cheese to garnish

Directions:

• preheat oven to 350 degrees
• crack the egg into two separate bowls without cracking the yoke, egg white in one bowl with yolk in another
• fill the ramekin with kale, spinach, mushroom & tomato or add any additional ingredients like veggies or tofu!
• add the almond milk to the bowl of egg white and mix well
• pour the eggwhite mixture over the ingredients in the ramekin
• top with goat cheese and sprinkle the dill
• bake in the oven for 15 minutes
• take out and carefully place the yoke in the middle and put back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
• if you like your yoke cooked through then simply put the yoke in the dish for the full 20 minutes!