Category Archives: Dessert

A “Healthier” Flourless Chocolate Cake

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chocolate cake

5-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake.  A rich,  chocolate-ly completely delicious “Healthier” Chocolate Cake. Paleo-friendly. Gluten-free. Dairy-Free. Flour-free. Refined-sugar free. Not too “sweet”. The Chocolate is the star here.  Easy when flour and alot of refined-sugar aren’t stealing the show. Use a good chocolate bar. Next time I would add 1/2 tsp salt. That would bump it up to a 6-ingredient cake. Oh well. xo

Adapted from Detoxinista

4 oz 70% chocolate bar
3 whole eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup honey

  1. Preheat over to 375F. Grease 6-inch cake pan. (I lined bottom with parchment paper for easy release). Original recipe uses an 8-inch springform pan if you prefer a thinner cake.
  2. Melt the baking chocolate and coconut oil in double-boiler and stir until smooth.  Let cool for few minutes.
  3. Combine the melted chocolate/oil with the cocoa powder, honey and eggs.  Whisk until batter is smooth.
  4. Pour into greased pan and smooth top.  Bake for 30 min.  If you want more of a chocolate molten/lava cake.  Bake 20-25 min.  The center will be “lava” like.
  5. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove.

Note: the original recipe uses 4 oz unsweetened chocolate and 3/4 cup honey.  I only had the bittersweet chocolate bar, so decreased the honey by 1/4 cup.

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Non~Dairy Chocolate Pudding. AKA: Chocolate Heaven.

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Dairy-Free Chocolate Pudding.  You will either hate me or love me after this post.   Sometimes life calls for a little indulgence.  It is certainly in my blood to desire a “treat” or a sweet indulgence.  With all the garbage out there these days that might taste good for the moment, but makes me feel like crap within an hour…..it is a gift to find these better-for-you “treats”. And to be able to do so relatively guilt-free makes life all the more pleasurable.

This decadent chocolate treat is elegant enough to be served at a dinner party, or casual enough to put in your lunch box container for work or school.  Can easily be made in 5 minutes.  The base for this delicious pudding are these beauties:

Avocados: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.  I use them in smoothies, salads, puddings, soups and the list goes on.  Avocado is an uber nutrient-dense food. A good-for-you fat, that is excellent source of potassium, soluble fiber, and is rich in antioxidants  which boost our immune system, slow the aging process and promote a healthy nervous system.

The Four “Pillows” ~ This blends up *so* beautifully in the Vitamix!

Chocolate Pudding
Serves two

2 avocados
1/2 cup almond milk
4 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1/4 cup sweetner (raw honey, agave, stevia)
Generous sprinkling of real sea salt.  **Do not skip**
Splash of pure vanilla extract

Blend in Vitamix , you will need to use the tamper and spatula to scape sides down.  Refrigerate (if you can wait that long!!)

Have fun with it!!  Variations:  use mint extract for a “choco-mint”, add nut-butter, add handful of spinach (greens hide soooo easily in chocolate desserts!!)   xo

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Creamy Strawberry Ice-Cream: Dairy-Free. Sugar Free.

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Happy Summer, Friends.  It’s been a while!  Hope everyone is enjoying summer now that it is in full swing!  In my quest for refreshing dairy-free treats, wanted to share this jewel with you.

Mark Bittman wrote a great piece in The New York Times a few days ago:  ”Got Milk? You Don’t Need It.” Fantastic read in which he shares his own dairy-free journey.  While most don’t think of Milk in terms of sugar,  particularly interesting to note this little from Dr. Neal Barnard in the article:

“Sugar — in the form of lactose — contributes about 55 percent of skim milk’s calories, giving it ounce for ounce the same calorie load as soda.” – Dr. Neal Barnard

Whoa.  So, in the interest of a delicious dairy-free, and -with exception of the fruit, sugar-free ice-cream….I give you this super creamy and delicious Strawberry Ice Cream.

If you are using a Vitamix, this can be made with or without an ice-cream machine. Personally, I think it is better with the ice-cream machine.  I blended the base in the Vitamix and poured into  an ice-cream machine.  20 min later—a thick, creamy delicious ice-cream. Ice-cream machines have come a long way.  They are quick (20-30 min) , easy to clean, and don’t take up a lot of space.  I picked up this Cuisinart machine at Costco for about $30.

It CAN be done without the ice-cream machine.  You would just pour the base into a container and freeze it….similar to this ice-cream.  Some people enjoy a “soft-serve” and some prefer a harder ice-cream.  I am of the former.

NOTE: The coconut milk needs to have been refrigerated and cold.  When you open it, do not stir it up.  Pour right into the blender.

Strawberry Ice-Cream {Dairy-Free}

1 can of full-fat coconut milk – (refrigerated and cold)
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 tbps vanilla extract
1 tsp sel de gris or real sea salt – do NOT skip this–trust me!
Stevia to taste

Place all ingredients in Vitamix and blend until smooth and creamy. Depending on size of your strawberries –If you need to add a little liquid -use a little almond milk.  I got the “four pillows” doing this—which means when the container is upside down –it is pretty much frozen..but still a bit soft-serve.  At this point, you could either enjoy it or put it in the freezer if you prefer a harder, more traditional ice-cream.

I poured the strawberry ice-cream into the Cuisinart ice-cream machine and gave it a whirl for 20 min.  This really takes it to another level.  Not essential—but recommended.  xo

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Agar Agar. Thank me later.

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Agar Agar.  What is it?  Widely used in Asia and in Japan for over 450 years,  it is the vegetarian, natural sea vegetable version of gelatin.  Flavorless, calorie-free and odorless, it has been known as ”the medicine to smoothen stomach conditions” and aid in digestion.     It is sold in the form of blocks, powder, flakes or brittle strands. Available at Asian markets, natural food stores and Whole Foods. It can be substituted  for gelatin but has stronger  setting properties  (about 5x more)….so less of it is required. Unlike gelatin, Agar will set at room temp.

It contains no sugar, no fat and no carbohydrates. It is high in dietary fiber, protein and also contains an array of minerals and is rich in iodine from seaweed.  It has mildly laxative properties. It is used as a thickening agent for custards, puddings, soups and sauces.

Some ingredients do not set with it, depending on the acidic / alkaline state of the add-in:  Pineapple, figs, papaya, mango, peaches contain enzymes which break down the gelling ability.

How do you use Agar?  You must first soak it in liquid for 5-10 minutes.  I use 2 tbsp of Agar flakes to 3 cups of liquid:  (half/almond milk or coconut milk with half water).  It then has to be brought to boil and simmered for a minute.  I then pour it into a bowl and it will set at room temp without refrigeration.  If you want it firmer, you can add more agar; less firm, add more liquid.

This ratio produces this consistency: 

For a virtually calorie-free, quite filling and super-delicious chocolate pudding, I add 2 tbsp of Cacao Powder, a few shakes of Cinnamon, Stevia and a sprinkle of fleur de sel.  Give that a whirl in the Vitamix and you have a super delicious, almost-calorie-free (remember, agar has no calories, so the only calories in this are from the cacao, cinnamon, , almond milk) chocolate pudding:

Swear. And in the blink of an eye, that full cup of deliciousness turns into this…

 You can easily use many different add-ins here for puddings or thick shakes:

  • pumpkin, pumpkin spice
  • sub coffee for some of the almond milk to make it a “mocha”
  • strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
  • pureed fruit or jar of baby food for a pie filling
  • oatmeal or millet
  • coconut or any nut butters

Have fun with it!  Here are some other great uses for this fun sea vegetable:

Basic Agar Pudding tutorial by Katie at Chocolate-Covered-Katie

Sweet Cinnamon Panna Cotta by Jennifer & Jaclyn at Sketch-Free Vegan Eating

Dairy-Free Red Quinoa and Broccoli Quiche by Heather at Yum Universe

Eat better. Feel great.  xo

Happy Birthday

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“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

- Abraham Lincoln

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  This year, do what you LOVE, and do it OFTEN. If you don’t like something, CHANGE it. If you don’t like your job, QUIT.  If you don’t have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be WAITING for you when you START doing things you LOVE. Stop over analyzing.  All emotions are BEAUTIFUL. When you eat,  APPRECIATE every last bite. OPEN your mind, arms and heart to new things and people, we are united in our differences.  Ask the next person you see what their PASSION is, and share your INSPIRING DREAM with them.  TRAVEL often; getting lost will help you find yourself.  Some opportunities come once, seize them. Life is about the PEOPLE you meet, and the things you CREATE with them , so go out and START CREATING. LIVE with INTENTION. Walk to the edge. Listen Hard. Practice WELLNESS. Play with abandon. LAUGH. Choose with no regret. Continue to LEARN. Appreciate your FRIENDS.  LIVE  as if this is all there is.  xo

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Chocolate-Nut Butter Ice Cream.

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Chocolate, Banana, Almond-Butter Ice Cream. You know I would not leave you hanging with yesterday’s Banana Ice Cream Post, without offering a nicely deserved chocolate counterpart. :) This is also Dairy-Free and Soy-Free : we have just added two ingredients to it:  Cacao Powder and Almond Butter.  You could use Peanut Butter here if you prefer.

I used 2 heaping tablespoons of Cacao Powder and 2 tablespoons of Almond Butter, but this is to taste…so if you want more or less of either – go for it!

To recap what you need:  a food processor or high-speed blender and blend the following:  

3 frozen bananas
1/4 cup of almond milk
cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)
2 tablespoons almond butter
2 heaping tablespoons raw cacao powder

Like yesterday’s post….I much prefer this ice cream as a “soft serve” right out of the blender or vita-mix to the hardened, frozen version.  xo

Dairy-Free Banana Ice Cream

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Quick Three-Ingredient Ice Cream. The best, creamiest, healthiest “ice-cream” you will ever eat.  No lie. It is simple, dairy-free, soy-free, preservative-free and as if that weren’t enough….you don’t need an ice cream machine…the only equiptment needed is a food-processor or high-speed blender.

Three ingredients, people…here they are:  bananas, almond milk, nutmeg (or cinnamon):

3 frozen bananas
1/4 cup almond milk
cinnamon or nutmeg to taste

Add the bananas and the almond milk in your high speed blender or food processor. The consistency will be like a “soft serve” type of ice cream. Some prefer this to a more frozen ice cream.  To get a “hard” ice cream, you will need to freeze it in an air-tight container for a few hours.  Good luck with the waiting, if you go that route :)

I got the four “pillows” in the Vitamix :) . For giggles, I had to turn it upside down like they do in the Vitamix demos!

Back in July, my tasters collectively preferred the cinnamon to the nutmeg–but to each his own.  There are so many great spices to add on …. chopped nuts, chocolate chips, chocolate sauce would  also be nice. To me,  this ice cream had more flavor as a “soft serve” than it did more “frozen.”   Either way–this will not last long.

Easy Option:  if you are suddenly feeling a “milkshake” instead of ice cream — just add more almond milk to the blender and serve immediately.

Viva la Vegan! xo

Why We Need Each Other.

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Peanut Butter Pie Smoothie For Jennifer and Mikey.   This week, the food blogging community was shocked and saddened when food writer Jennifer Perrillo, of In Jennie’s Kitchen, who was tweeting about preserves, sauce and upcoming summer plans, sent out this tweet:  ”He’s gone. And my heart is shattered in a million pieces.” Her husband, and father of their two little girls, died suddenly of a heart attack.  Jennie asked that in honor of those we love, to make a Creamy Peanut Butter Pie and share it with your family and those you love. This pie was also a favorite of her husband, Mikey. You can read about it on her blog.

 Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey from Evolution Multimedia on Vimeo.

This beautiful tribute from White on Rice Couple reminds us to be grateful for the loves in our lives.  The peanut butter pies are pouring in all over the internet, as everyone has taken pause in their busy lives to appreciate what they have and support a friend in need.

Life is Short.  Start doing what you love.  Live your dream and share your passion.  xo

Peanut Butter Pie Smoothie
1 1/2 cups almond milk
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 or 2 tbsp peanut or almond butter
1 tbsp avocado
5-6 ice cubes
GENEROUS sprinkling of fleur de sel
Stevia to taste
Optional:  1 tbsp of chocolate protein powder

Blend all in blender.

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