plant based

Lightened Up Date Shake

Living in Southern California my entire life, I grew up going to Palm Springs every Easter with my family. Every trip to palm springs always included a quick stop by the date gardens in Indio to get a date shake. Since you guys know I love “healthifying” comfort foods, today is the day for a Lightened Up Date Shake. Traditional date shakes consist of full fat vanilla ice cream, whole milk, and dates. My recipe still consists of 3 ingredients, but adds up to nearly a fraction of the calories! Plus it’s vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, paleo, and low-fat!

A traidtional date shake adds up to:
Calories: 626
Fat: 25.3g
Sugar: 77.5g
Fiber: 4.5g
Protein: 13.2g

And my Lightened Up Date Shake totals:
Calories: 330
Fat: 1.25g
Sugar: 57.5g (all natural unrefined sugar)
Fiber: 8g
Protein: 3g

Not all sugars are created equal. Say a candy bar (refined sugar) has the same amount of sugar as a banana (natural sugar). They process through your body completely different. Whole fruit has a lot of fiber, which actually slows down your body’s digestion of glucose, so you don’t get the crazy insulin spike (and crash) that candy causes. That also means your body has more time to use up glucose as fuel before storing it… as fat.

That’s the #1 reason why I love using Medjool Dates as a sweetener in baking and other recipes versus regular table sugar!

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Lightened Up Date Shake
Serves 1

3 Natural Delights Medjool Dates, pitted
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup unsweetened original almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Remove pits from dates. Blend blend blend until smooth and creamy!

Tip: To make this more filling as a meal replacement, try adding 1/4 cup of dry rolled oats to the blender!

Huge thank you to Natural Delights for supplying the dates for this recipe!

Vegan Cookie Dough Bites

If you’re craving something sinful, there is always a healthier alternative to satisfy your craving. These Vegan Cookie Dough Bites are made with cashews and oats and don’t contain any refined sugar, butter, or eggs. Just 100% plant based ingredients that not only satisfy your sweet tooth, but provide nutrients and energy as well!

I posted a picture of the dough on Instagram last week and promised a recipe by the “next week.” Well ladies and gentlemen, that did not happen. You see, I loved it so much that I ate the entire bowl before I could even photograph it! Actually, I didn’t even roll it into bites at that point!!! It was just one of those days, and healthy vegan cookie dough solved all of my problems, haha. As promised, here’s the recipe!

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Vegan Cookie Dough Bites
Makes 8 bites

1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp dark chocolate chips

Combine cashews, oats, flour, and salt and grind in a food processor until becomes fine. Add maple syrup and vanilla and process until well combined and dough starts to form. Transfer the dough to a bow and fold in the chocolate chips. Form the dough into 1 tablespoon size balls. Store in refrigerator.

Date & Olive Tapenade

Ok my little bun buns, here it is. The tapenade you’ve all been waiting for! The salty sweet spread I have been bragging about for days. My favorite thing from the Natural Delights Medjool Dates Summit. The recipe I have been craving twenty four seven. DATE OLIVE TAPENADE! Vegan, gluten-free, no added salt, and no added sugar! 100% om nom nom worthy. Spread it on top of a crostini with a slather of goat cheese, and you will be in heaven! You must make this for your next party. Best appetizer. The end. Enjoy!

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Date & Olive Tapenade
Recipe By: Bob Nidiffer

1 cup chopped Medjool dates
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp drained capers, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts – I actually loved it without them!

Goat Cheese
1 log soft goat cheese

Crostini
1 whole grain or French baguette
Olive oil cooking spray

Combine chopped dates and 1/3 cup water in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until liquid evaporates and dates are soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer dates to a food processor. Mix in olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, capers, and chopped thyme and process into a spread.
Optional: Fol chopped walnuts into the date & olive spread.
Crostini: Preheat oven to 350. Slice baguette into thin slices and place on a cooking sheet. Generously spray the bread with a coat of olive oil cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Note: Can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate, but bring to room temperature along with cheese before serving.

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The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: dates (fruit)
Whole Grain: baguette (50g serving)
Protein: goat cheese (1/4 cup serving)
Plant Based Fat: olives & olive oil (2 Tbsp serving of tapenade)

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

Remember on Facebook when I said my kitchen smelled like cotton candy?
Well it wasn’t cotton candy, and it was not vegan marshmallows: it was a vegetable.
You heard that right! Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash to be exact!
Easy to prepare, delicious, nutritious, and very filling!

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

Ahhh tis the season of winter squash!
My seasonal squash of choice? Acorn Squash.
Now take a look at this fine little cutie! (seriously, I think they are so adorable!)
Don’t let the cutie patootie looks fool you, this is a mean, lean, powerhouse nutrient machine!

  • One cup of acorn squash contains 145% of the daily recommended requirements for Vitamin A.
  • It also contains Vitamin C, potassium, manganese, folate (folic acid), and 15% of the omega three fatty acids necessary to good health
  • It’s also an excellent source of fiber that will keep you full and focused.

Now, you may be asking, how does one choose an acorn squash? Pick the cutest one available. Just kiddinggg!

Look for:
Select a squash that has a good balance between green and orange skin. You want to choose a smooth squash without any soft spots. The heavier the squash, the more moist it will be, so choose a squash that is heavy for it’s size.
Avoid: Too much orange coloring on the skin, which indicates an overripe squash.
Storage: Store at room temperature (no need to refrigerate before cooking) and use within two weeks of purchase. Cooked acorn squash can be sealed and refrigerated up to 4 days.

The first way I ever had an acorn squash was roasted with butter and brown sugar, and to this day it is still my favorite.There is nothing like the smell of Sweet Acorn Squash roasting in the oven. It smells like a sweet sugary dream come true!
Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

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Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash
I decided to lighten up this recipe with Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread With Olive Oil. If you haven’t tried this before, you need to head on over to your local Health Food store and get a tub. My mom and I have been using it in place of butter in our Armenian family recipes to give those heavy meals, a light touch. It’s an incredible alternative to butter, made with natural expeller-pressed oils such as soybean, olive, and Flax. It’s also vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, casein-free, non-GMO, and contains no trans fat, and no cholesterol. With all of that said, this is a great source of healthy plant based monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated  fats.

Earth Balance

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash
Serves 2

1 Acorn Squash (about 1 lb)
1 Tbsp Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
1 Tbsp brown sugar or Splenda Brown Sugar Blend

Preheat oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the center. Cut the acorn squash in half. Scrape out the seeds and strings (like a pumpkin). Save the seeds for another recipe coming soon! Divide the Earth Balance spread into 1/2 Tbsps. Using your fingers, coat the yellow flesh of each squash with Earth Balance. Divide the brown sugar into 1/2 tbsps and sprinkle over each half of the squash. Place in a baking pan and surround with crinkled aluminum foil to hold the halves upright. Place in the oven and roast until fork tender about 45 minutes to one hour.
Note: I recommend using a baking pan with raised edges so any drippings can be caught.
On that note: If you don’t have a baking pan with raised edges, you can shape your own out of foil and then place on top of a cookie sheet.
Last note: Don’t throw the seeds away! Keep them in a ziplock or container in the fridge for another recipe.

Sweet Roasted Acorn Squash

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: Acorn squash
Whole Grain: 0
Protein:
 0
Plant Based Fat: Earth Balance Olive Oil Buttery Spread

Mmmm tastes like fall, feels like winter!
Roasted acorn squash would be excellent stuffed with quinoa(whole grain) and lentils (protein). Stay tuned for a recipe to stuff your cute little squash!

Quinoa Crusted Tempeh

My favorite protein at the moment is tempeh (tem-pay) and of course my whole-grain obsession of the century is quinoa (keen-wa)! Breaded and crispy foods are so yummy, but usually not very healthy. I typically eat my tempeh plain and grilled or in stir-frys so I decided it was time for a change. Since my obsession with quinoa is still going strong, I wanted to try “breading” my tempeh with it! It turned out so delicious and I loved the texture it gave. This meal turned out to be the ultimate protein power plate with 32 grams of protein! I can’t wait to add a boost of quinoa protein crust to my tofu next time!



Quinoa Crusted Tempeh
serves 1

4oz tempeh
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa (any color will work, I used tri-colored)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 cups field greens
1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar

Place oil a pan over medium heat and let the oil warm up. Place the uncooked quinoa in a separate bowl and set aside. Combine the egg and all spices (alt, cumin, lemon pepper, paprika, ad garlic powder) in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Dip the tempeh into the egg mixture, coating it completely. Then dip the tempeh in the dry quinoa until it is covered. Carefully place the tempeh in the pan and cook each side for about 3 minutes. Continue flipping until quinoa and tempeh start to brown. Remove the tempeh from the stove and cut into 1/2 inch thick strips. Place over a bed of fresh greens and top with white balsamic vinegar.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: field greens
Whole Grain: quinoa
Protein: tempeh and egg
Plant Based Fat: olive oil