Chocolate Chia Pudding

There are a lot of different ways to make chia pudding. In this post I present 2 similar chocolate versions.  In this pudding, the chia seeds expand to create a lovely bubbly texture.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• Variation #1: 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 
• Variation #2: 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder AND 2 heaping tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (use 1/2 tsp for a stronger cinnamon flavour)
• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 large medjool dates, pitted and finely diced (use 3 or 4 dates if you want a sweeter pudding)

Directions:

1) In a small bowl*, combine chia seeds, cocoa (and coconut if Variation #2), and cinnamon.  Stir to combine.

2) Add almond milk**. Stir until well incorporated.

3) Add diced medjool dates, a few at a time, stirring as you go. Stir until ingredients are well mixed. (If your container has a lid, you can shake it to combine!)

5) Place in fridge overnight.

6) Before serving, stir well.  (The first time I made this, I didn't realize that the diced dates mostly sank to the bottom!)

*I used a "cup-like" tupperware container with a lid that holds about 500mL liquid
**Feel free to substitute some of the almond milk with coconut milk (especially if you want a stronger coconut flavour in Variation #2)

chia seeds, cocoa powder, cinnamon, coconut

diced medjool dates

almond milk and dates added to dry ingredients

stir well and put in fridge!

ready to serve, garnished with raspberries!

No-Bake Granola Bars

I've been looking for another granola bar to try for awhile and finally came across this one that I thought looked yummy.  So glad I tried it - this recipe from David Lebovitz is fantastic!

The texture was great - there was a nice balance between 'crunchy' and 'chewy'. I also never realized how much I like roasted whole almonds!

A few notes:

• I used Medjool dates
• I didn't have dried sour cherries so I substituted some sunflower and pumpkin seeds instead.  I happened to have about 1 tbsp of dried cranberries so I threw those in as well.
• I also didn't have peanuts on hand so I used chopped raw cashews instead
• My chocolate chips mostly melted (I used mini chips) once I added them to the granola mixture which was still a little warm from the oven - I don't think this mattered
• I think the 1/4 cup honey could definitely be adjusted depending on personal taste.  While I didn't find these bars too sweet, other palettes might.  The next time I make these, I will probably reduce the honey or eliminate it altogether.  (Edit:  I tried these bars again, by only including a little honey.  Bad idea, the honey helps to bind the bars and I ended up with loose granola, still delicious but didn't hold together!  So, to reduce sweetness, next time I will exclude the chocolate chips instead!)
• I stored my bars in the freezer

Avocado Alfredo

I love pasta so when I came across this recipe at Gluten-Free-Vegan-Girl, I had to try it.  This recipe took just 15 minutes to prepare and it was delicious!

A few notes:

• I used whole wheat spaghetti
• I didn't have fresh basil so I used dried instead
• I excluded the nutritional yeast (one commenter asked about this and the author suggested a substitute could be onion powder - I will have to try this version next time)
• After reading more carefully through the comments on the author's site, the author also mentioned she sometimes includes other ingredients like spinach and chickpeas

Creamy Potato Chowder

This soup from Oh My Veggies looked delicious. Plus, I was curious as to what a dairy free "creamy" soup would taste like!

I really enjoyed this soup - I can't quite describe the flavour but I know the hint of red wine had something to do with it!  I hadn't made cashew cream before - it really does look like cream once it's blended! This soup wasn't too time consuming to prepare and could be eaten alone as a meal.

A few notes:

• Instead of 4 cups of white potatoes, I used 3 cups and substituted the 4th cup with chopped carrots.  I made things even easier on myself by using mini potatoes which were quickly chopped into quarters (I left the peels on)
• Instead of 6 cups of vegetable broth, I used 4 cups broth and 2 cups water
• I excluded the garlic granules (which I didn't have) and included a minced garlic clove instead
• I used tap water instead of filtered
• My soup didn't turn out as creamy looking as the photographs by the author - not sure why

Cashew cream