Vegan Chocolate Shake

I love chocolate shakes but I don’t love sugar and dairy. This reminds me of the shakes you get at a fast food restaurant but guilt free.

1 cup cashews

3 cups ice

3 Tbs unsweetened cocoa

2 dates, pits removed and chopped finely or try you luck in the blender

¼ cup water

¼ cup agave or pure maple syrup

¼ tsp sea salt

Add ingredients to a strong blender in the order listed and blend until smooth. Freezes great for a snack tomorrow.

Savory Vegetable Quinoa Soup

When I made this I really didn't think my kids would like it. Surprisingly all ages 2-16 loved it and had seconds. This is very versatile. I add green beans, parsnips, zucchini and whatever vegetable I think would taste good. I have left out other vegetable because I didn't have them on hand.

Serves 6

1 clove garlic (minced)

1 yellow onion (diced into small pieces)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3 very large red potatoes (about 14 oz.) (diced into small squares)

2/3 cup quinoa (uncooked)

3 vine ripened tomatoes (diced)

2 carrots (diced into small squares)

1 yellow squash (diced into small pieces)

9 cups unsalted vegetable broth (I used Rapunzel, Vegan)

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/8 - 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

1/4 tsp. stevia powder

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)

4 fresh basil leaves (sliced)

1. Add olive oil to a large stock pot and add minced garlic & onion. Season by

sprinkling some salt and pepper while cooking.

2. Add quinoa, diced potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, dry seasonings, stevia, salt & pepper.

Continue to cook, stirring frequently, Cook for about 5 minutes.

3. Add vegetable broth and yellow squash. Bring to a boil and then turn to low and

simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Add nutritional yeast and stir well. Turn burner off and add in chopped parsley

and basil leaves.

5. Serve with crusty bread and a green leafy salad. ENJOY!!

Gogi Berry Balls (superfood cookies)

This is truly one of favorite recipes. It will give you energy and it high in nutrients. I made a batch of these when I ran Ragnar and it kept me going. I also eat these when I am pregnant because they taste so good and keep me going throughout the day.

2/3 cup agave nectar

1/4 soaked goji berried

1/2 cup cacao nibs (I use chocolate chips)

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup raisins

10 pitted dates

5 dried black mission figs

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup cocoa or carob powder

1 cup unsweetened coconut

Add all ingredients, except coconut, in a food processor and process until it is as creamy as you can get it. You can add a little water if necessary but don't add too much or it won't roll into balls. Next roll in coconut and chill in fridge or freezer for 30 min before serving.

Salsa Verde

I am part of produce buying co-op. Sometimes I get a Mexican pack full of peppers, cilantro and tomatillos. This is the recipe that I make with the above ingredients.

1 lb fresh tomatillos, husked, softened in a pan of water, then chopped

1-2 fresh green chilies (jalepeno or serrano), deseeded and finely chopped

1 green bell pepper or large mild pepper like Anaheim or pablano, deseeded and chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Salt to taste

I put the ingredients in a blender until smooth. This makes a large batch so I freeze what I cannot eat now. This is good with chips or in taco and tortillas.

Monster Cookies

These are pretty tasty and have a lot of ingredients :)

6 eggs
2 1/4 cups brown sugar (or 2 cups honey and 2 TBS molasses)
2 cups white sugar (or 1 1/2 cups honey)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 tsp baking soda
1 cup softened butter/coconut oil
3 cups crunch peanut butter
9 cups oatmeal (10-10 1/2 if using honey)
1 1/2 cups chocoalte chips
1 1/2 cups candied chocolate (M&Ms) though I successfully just use more chocolate chips

Mix the first 7 ingredients (up to and including the peanut butter) add oatmeal, candy and chocolate chips and mix.

Drop onto cookie sheets with lots of space between. If the dough is too sticky you can either refrigerate it or add extra oatmeal.

Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

Veggie Burgers!

Hello everyone! I made these tonight and they were delicious. I doubled the recipe, which was a lot more than my family needed, however, I didn't want to make them again tomorrow

My friend Alicia gave me this recipe and I can't remember where she said she got it from. However, it is inspired by anothe recipe and is a very easy/relaxed mixture.

Veggie Burger!

6 cups of water
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 TBS parsley
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp marjoram
4 TBS dried minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup nutirtional yeast
2 tsp light yellow miso
1/4 tsp celery powder
1/3 cup tamari sauce
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
6 cups oatmeal

In a large pot/pan bring your water to a nice rolling boil. While it is boiling add all of the ingredients except oatmeal. (I add lentils at this point) Add your oatmeal. It will thicken and might be harder to mix. Remove from the heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Make burger patties and place on a cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes on each side. These are great frozen for future use!

I added lentils and they were wonderful. I used 1 cup of dry lentils cooked up and added in.

You can use any combination of herbs and it will equal about 3 TBS of herbs. This does not include the onion. Fresh onion works well too. As does potatoes and shredded carrots. All of these things add flavor and nutrition! ENJOY!

Amazing Chocolate Muffins

Many of you have asked for this recipe...it is an adaption that my friend came up with and they are truly wonderful! Even my husband adores them!

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This is the recipe with my alterations. I have increased this by up to 8 times and not had any problems. If you follow this exactly, these will be wheat free, dairy free, and sugar free! Enjoy!

Inspired by Joyful Heart Muffins: approx. 12
Nonstick spray or cupcake liners
1 cp applesauce
½ cp honey
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp canola oil
¾ cp oat flour
1/3 cp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsps baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Dash of cinnamon
½ cp vegan chocolate chips

Mix wet ingredients in one bowl, dry in a bigger bowl. Make a well in dry and pour in wet. Mix well. Use an icecream scoop to divide into muffin tin and get nice even muffins. Bake at 375* for 20 mins. Cool completely and Enjoy!