Strike Sugar September

My love of lifting weights, sweating it out on a long run, and preparing healthy clean foods was not something I was born with shocking I know. Every deadlift, hill sprint, and qunioa salad has been a step in a healthy direction, and a building block for a future of whole body/mind/spirit happiness. I have gathered information along the way from many experts, and many wannabe experts whose advice was later cast to the curb and one of my absolute favourites is Tosca Reno. Tosca is known most prominently for becoming a fitness model, author, and columnist after the age of 40. She turned her life around completely from being fat and frumpy to fit and fabulous - and owes it all to clean eating and a love of iron! Every month she and her teams at Oxygen Magazine and the Clean Eating Diet and hosting a challenge to reawaken health and vitality - and I thought I would pass on Septembers challenge! September is Strike Sugar month and I plan on hitting it hard! Read through Tosca's tips, and she'll continue to post more throughout the month!

Here's to health, happiness, and hitting the gym with purpose!

Chocolate Chip [Lentil] Cookies

A friend of mine asked me to teach her how to incorporate beans and lentils into her diet in ways that aren't common ground [like chili for example.] So, being the ambitious person I am, I quickly said yes before realising that I myself rarely use lentils, even though I do enjoy them. Lentils are one of those unique pulses which takes on the flavor of just about anything you throw at it!  Not only is is a versatile pantry staple, but it is choke full of goodness!  Here's a little blurb on the amazing little pulse we're talking about to entice you to try them if you haven't already: "With about 30% of their calories from protein, lentils have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any legume or nut, after soybeans and hemp.^[3] Proteins include the essential amino acids isoleucine and lysine, and lentils are an essential source of inexpensive protein in many parts of the world, especially in West Asia and the Indian subcontinent, which have large vegetarian populations.^[4] Lentils are deficient in two essential amino acids, methionine and cysteine.^[5] However, sprouted lentils contain sufficient levels of all essential amino acids, including methionine and cysteine.^[6]
Lentils also contain dietary fiber, folate, vitamin B₁, and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%).^[7] Health magazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods.^[8] Lentils are often mixed with grains, such as rice, which results in a complete protein dish."Source 

Dal Baht is the daily dish enjoyed in Nepal, and made primarily from lentils and served over rice. While this is always the first dish I think of when faced with a bunch of lentils, I decided it was time to branch out in honor of my friends request. So, I started searching...and found lots and lots of cookies! What I didn't find were cookies recipes that left me drooling, or cookie recipes that would pack a real nutritional punch, or better yet, cookies that delivered both! So, naturally I created my own. With many taste tester approvals I have now deemed this recipe ready for its big reveal - I hope you and yours enjoy it as well!

Chocolate Chip [Lentil] Cookies

an orignial recipe created by me!

1/2 cup vegan butter, softened

1 cup naturally creamed honey

1/4 cup pure maple syrup [I'm not talking Aunt Jemima's hear, I'm talking about 100% PURE maple syrup! Don't use Aunt Jemima's or you will have made these really sickly sweet!]

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 flax egg*

1/2 cup lentil puree**

1 cup zucchini puree***

1 tbsp baking powder

2 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 cups dark chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350*.Cream the butter in a large electric mixing bowl. Once light and fluffy, add in the honey and maple syrup and continue beating. Add in the flax egg, vanilla, lentils and zucchini then set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients [leave out the chocolate chips] and slowly add to the wet mixture blending as you go. Once the dough is mixed, add in the chocolate chips. Drop by the cookie scoop full [about the size of a rounded tbsp] onto silpat lined cookies sheets. Bake at 350* for 12-15 minutes [12 for darker pans and 15 for lighter is what I found.]

Yield: 4.5 dozen

I hope you're little cookie monsters gobble these up - they are a certifiable hit in our home!



*to make a flax egg simply mix 1 tbsp freshly milled flaxseed with 3 tbsp cold water and let it sit for 10 minutes. It will gel together as it sits and act as a binder in this recipe.

**to make your own lentil puree blend together 4 parts cooked lentils with one part water. i.e. 1 cup of cooked lentils and 1/4 cup of water.

***zucchini puree is simply made by blending up whole zucchini in the blender.

Drooling

I love Pinterest! I find ideas, inspirations, and like minded people all in one place! Recipes are some of my favourite things to collect, try, and read and Pinterest helps me get my fill of eye candy when it comes to new food ideas. One recipe in particular caught my eye today and I simply had to try it.Right. Now. So I did. And now you need to!

 

Is your mouth watering yet? This recipe is titled 'Asian Slaw with Ginger-Peanut Dressing' and it is as drool worthy as it looks! I ate this bad boy right up at supper time, and my little Eli even gave it a go then opted for the Butternut Squash Soup I had made instead.  If you would like to enjoy this colourful dish from heaven, hop on over to Once Upon A Chef to find the recipe. Oh, and this is easier and faster to prepare than anything you'll find. Even hot dogs shudder.

Comfort Food

When I was first married, I didn't know my way around a kitchen - unless I was baking cookies of course. My Handsome Husband cooked ALL our meals, and when he was at work or away I simply ate left overs or something from a can. This really didn't bother me in the least, and he enjoyed cooking, so it was a good arrangement for us. Fast forward a few years, and we were expecting our first babe, I was sicker than a dog, bouncing back and forth to the city for specialist appointments, and off work. With all my newly found free time I thought I should at least have supper waiting when my better half walked in the door from work. At first the meals were meager, burnt, and left a lot to be desired. Thankfully, My Man choked down the gruel and encouraged me so that I was able to have the courage to keep on cooking and make it to the place I am today - creating new recipes! What a gift it is to have his unconditional belief in me!
One of the first meals I prepared was straight from a can, and tasted horrible, but of course received two thumbs up. We laugh about my humble beginnings in the kitchen now, but seriously guys, this was no laughing matter. How did he choke down that stuff??? In honor of that early disaster, I recreated the meal - this time completely from scratch, using whole food ingredients. No cans required.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

an original recipe, created by me

6 cups water

3 tabs low sodium veggie broth

6-8 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, pressed

3 tbsp - ¼ cup water, for sauteing

¼ cup flour

2 cups almond milk

¾ cups nutritional yeast

¾ cups soy yogurt, plain

1 can strained and washed white kidney beans

½ tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Bring first three items to a simmer in a large pot, and let simmer for 15 minutes.

In a skillet, sauté the onion and crushed garlic until transparent, then add the flour and milk, stirring constantly until a thick paste forms. Add this mixture to the broccoli pot.

Add nutritional yeast, and soy yogurt to the pot, then seasonings. After stirring everything well, ladle into a blender, and blend until desired consistency. Leaving some soup in the blender, add in the beans and emulsify completely. Add this thicker mix to the soup pot, and stir to combine. Serve warm with fresh focaccia bread – so good!

We made this soup while winds drove rain sideways against our windows. It was quite the comfort food amidst the storm :) Darius really wanted me to take a picture of him with his soup, as he would emphatically praise the soup after every slurpy bite. Life definitely becomes more entertaining when kids are on the scene!

Han-or-ama

Summer holds so much magic for me. From an early age, I came to understand that summer time meant being outside, playing foursquare in the cul-de-sac, heart beating out of my chest at the sound of the ice cream truck [I only have one memory of actually purchasing from said truck however haha] hands scratched and covered in sticky juice while enjoying raspberries right off the bush, but mostly soaking up sun alongside the concrete neighbourhood pool. We swam endlessly and tirelessly, loving every moment amidst the din of giggles, laughter, shouts, and conversations.

This past week we embarked on a family vacation, and most of our time was spent in the pool. Eli brought his trunks to us daily, bobbing up and down with excitement before the word 'pool' even crossed our lips. Darius made breakthrough after breakthrough with his swimming, charging through the barriers of fear he had previously established, and plunging into the water! Here is a little recount of the swimming adventures had by my sweet man-o:

"my swimming adventure was awesome! I wish I could be in han-or-ama again! I love papa so much and wish we could swim all day together!My jumps are amazing and awesome! I love my jumps and wish I could do them again! Swimming underwater feels so good! My favourite part about swimming underwater was when I swam across the pool and did dives into the water! I even got $5!! I am an Olympic swimmer and do great Olympic dives!"

Darius was non stop action in the pool, and inspired his brother to blow bubbles, dunk his head, and even jump off the side of the pool! Here's a little photo recap of the swimming adventures in 'han-or-ama' [I love the way he pronounces that haha!] We loved our time with Papa Aquaman and Karen, cousin Ayden, and all the aunts and uncles that were able to steal time away along with us! We love you guys!

Here's to you Mr.Robinson

The past few days have been cooler, hovering around 20*C instead of the 30 and above we were lucky enough to enjoy for a bit there. With the cooler weather comes a chance to catch up on household duties that get neglected when the sun is shining, and the beach is beckoning. Between all the housework over the last few days, we've snuck some cookie and bread baking into the mix.

 One reason for baking cookies is for Hottie Husband who has an extreme endurance event this weekend and needs healthy snacks with a complex combination of high carb-healthy fats-and protien to keep him fueled and racing for a full 24 hours! Sounds like fun right? The boys and I are looking forward to cheering him and his team on -  and if the boys are happy, we'll make it a full hour on the sidelines...I can only imagine what level of exhaustion he will be feeling upon completing this; and what sense of accomplishment as well!

 And the sweeter, chocolatey cookies were whipped up to say 'thank you' to Mr.Robinson [as Darius calls him] whom has been driving the-best-Daddy-in-the-world to work the past few days so we could have the car to run errands. Pretty awesome service in deed! According to Darius,"Mr.Robinson doesn't feel old enough to be called Mr.Robinson, but that's his name; so that's what I call him." I love how he calls adults Mr&Mrs and at times throws their first names in the middle too! Either way, Mr.Robinson is a great guy, and we really wanted to let him know that we appreciate his kindness and thought cookies might help drive that message home :)

Once both batches of cookies were whipped up and taste tested I just needed to share! Not only have both recipes received high praise and rave reviews, esspecially from Eli who cries when his cookie is gone haha! but there is always a need for cookies from the two extremes - healthy, and not so healthy but oh so incredibly yummy!. So here's to you Mr.Robinson! We'd love to bake for you anytime!

Cosmic Cookies

adapted from Planet Organic's orignial recipe

2 1/4 cups	old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups	Spelt flour
1 cup	Sunflower seeds
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp	Pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup	Shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/4 cup	Flax seeds, measured prior to grinding
1 cup	Granulated cane sugar
1 tbsp	Cinnamon, ground
2 1/4 tsp	Sea salt
1 3/4 cups	Dark chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups	Raisins
1/4 cup	Water
1/4 cup	fancy molasses
3/4 cup	apple sauce, unsweetened
1 cup	almond milk, unsweetened

	Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line baking trays with a silpat pad.
	In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, everything from oats to raisins. In a separate large bowl, combine wet ingredients, everything from water to almond milk. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix slow at a low speed (or by hand) until just combined. Do not over mix.
	Portion cookie dough using a 1/3-cup measure and place onto lined baking tray. Gently flatten cookies before baking. Bake for 24 minutes or until lightly browned. Yields 24 cookies [ we also made smaller cookies, which are pictured above. For the smaller cookies we used our cookie scoop, and they baked for 12 minutes] Let rest on pan before transfering to cooling rack to cool completely. These are a fabulous option for breakfast cookies, meal replacements, or snacks!

Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies

adated from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients

1-¼ cup fresh ground whole wheat  flour*

¼ cups (Rounded) Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

⅛ teaspoons Salt

6 Tablespoons  Vegan Butter, Room Temperature

3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

½ cups Granulated Cane Sugar

½ cups Powdered Maple Syrup [alternatively use brown sugar]

1 whole Large Egg [alternatviely use egg replacer, flax egg, or chia egg]

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla

1 teaspoon Coconut Extract

1/4 cup apple sauce, unsweetened*

1 cup Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)

1 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips


Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In an electric mixer, cream together the butter, coconut oil, and sugars. Scrape down the sides and then add the egg, coconut extract, and vanilla, applesauce; mix to combine. On a low speed, gradually add the flour and cocoa mixture, until incorporated. Add the shredded coconut and oats and mix. Add chocolate chips and mix until just folded in. The dough will be pretty solid. Form into balls about the size of a heaping tablespoon and place on a lined-baking sheet (with a Silpat or parchment paper).
Bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 2 minutes more on the sheet, then remove and place on a cooling rack.


* omit applesauce if using all purpose flour.


Makes the most of these wonderful summer days, and bring the fun inside when outside isn't quite cooperating. Darius and I had a blast baking up a storm; and I'm sure Hottie Husband and Mr.Robinson will enjoy the fruits of our labours as well! 

Veganpalooza!

Starting tomorrow and running through to July 15th is an amazing opportunity to learn more about living conscientiously, eating healthfully, and doing more good! Better yet - this is a free online event! To learn more about it, and to register for this event, head on over to Veganpaloozas home page here.