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

 

Raw Almond Butter Cups

I was looking for a quick treat to make and thought this recipe looked yummy on Oh She Glows. This dessert was very easy to make. But I did find it a tad sweet for my taste so the next time I make it, I will probably try reducing the amount of maple syrup (probably by 1 tbsp each on both the crust and topping).

As you can see from my picture, I used a larger muffin tin than the author so my cups are much flatter.  I used just a standard 12 muffin pan, lined with paper cups.

Roasted Portobello and Chickpea Burritos with Chimichurri Sauce

I was looking for a "Saturday afternoon" kind of lunch to make and this recipe from Oh My Veggies grabbed my attention.

This recipe was delicious! Very fresh testing with the "chimichurri" sauce - the combination of the roasted portobello mushrooms and chickpeas was tasty.

A few notes:

• Along with the mushrooms, chickpeas, cauliflower and chimichurri sauce, I also included tomatoes and avocado.  I totally forgot about the cilantro but I would have included it too had I remembered!
• As an alternative to the portobello mushrooms, I also roasted about 12 white mushrooms.
• I used pesto wraps.
• If I was running short on time, I'd probably skip out on the cauliflower mixture and just substitute in another vegetable (maybe some spinach?) or brown rice as suggested by the author.

Zucchini Fettuccine with Rosemary Butternut Creme Sauce

I've tried a few different versions of pasta sauce using butternut squash and I think this one is my favourite so far (Thanks to Nancy for directing me to it!). This recipe is from In Sonnet's Kitchen.

I have made this dish twice now and it is great!

A few notes:

• This dish is rather time consuming to make - preparing the noodles and scooping out the butternut squash in particular!
• I didn't have a spiralizer to make the beautiful fettuccine noodles as shown by the author so I used a julienne peeler instead to make "spaghetti" noodles.
• After I prepared the zucchini noodles, I put them in a large bowl and tossed with salt. Before adding them to the pan with the mushrooms, I drained the water.
• I used a blend of shitake, white and crimini mushrooms, probably between 3 to 4 cups when sliced.
• The first time I made this, I used oregano and basil instead of rosemary. The second time I used rosemary but less than 2 tsp.  Not sure which spices I liked better!
• Instead of broth I used water in the sauce.
• I had leftover butternut squash sauce both times for the amount of noodles and mushrooms I made. The leftover sauce worked nicely as a sauce for baked chicken breast later on in the week.