almonds

Desserts, Raw, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Raw Gingerbread Men

Congratulations to the winner of my #ChotallyAwesome Chobani Giveaway: Kaitlin!
Don’t forget to check your email to claim your prize! xo

Giveaway Winner 12:13:13
Merry Christmas Eve Eve little bunnies!

Is it just me or has this holiday season been crazy? I’ve been working on a lot of graphic design projects and I’ve barely had time to create new recipes, which makes me bummed. But today, that changed! It’s been a way-too-warm 70 degrees here in southern California, and as awesome as it sounds to have beach weather and sunshine, it makes it feel less like Christmas. I literally don’t even want to turn on my oven to bake anything because it’s too hot in my house, haha.

Instead of traditional gingerbread cookies, I created a no bake, raw, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, gingerbread cookie recipe with no grains or refined sugars! How do you like them apples?! I don’t want to toot my own horn, but toot toot, this is probably the healthiest gingerbread recipe you will find! Minimal dishes required. What whatttttt!

Grab your almond milk, turn on Elf, and prepare to be a man-eater. ha. ha .ha.
But seriously, these Medjool men are so scrumptious!

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Raw Gingerbread Men

1 cup + 1/4 cup Natural Delights Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup almonds
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp cloves

Before you begin, REMOVE PITS FROM DATES! Combine all spices and almonds in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Next add the dates and vanilla extract and blend until well combined. Even if it doesn’t resemble dough, it should stick together when pressing it into a ball. Transfer the ball of dough onto a picee or parchment or wax paper, cover with another sheet of parchment paper, and flatten to 1/4 inch thickness with a rolling pin. Remove the top layer of parchment paper and cut into gingerbread men or various shapes using a cookie cutter. Continue balling up the dough, rolling it out, and cutting into gingerbread men until there is no dough left. Eat right off of the plate, or store in refrigerator until serving!

Note: If you don’t have a cookie cutter, you can also roll them into 1 Tbsp sized balls as Gingerbread bites!

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Have a Merry Merry Christmas my loves!
xo Catherine

| 12 Comments
Breakfast, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Quinoa

I’m so excited to be home and back to creating new recipes for you guys! I know that’s why you’re here visiting my blog anyways : ). I think that my favorite meal of the day is breakfast, and since I often get bored of the same breakfast over and over again, I’m always creating new things. Today’s recipe is a similar to traditional oatmeal, but instead using quinoa as the whole grain. Nutritionally renowned for its protein content, quinoa makes an excellent addition for vegan and vegetarian dishes. But it’s not just the protein content that is so special, it’s the type of protein. Quinoa contains the perfect balance of all nine essential amino acids! No wonder it’s considered a “superfood!”

I am in desperate need of some new props for my blog! I realized that I don’t have any fun bowls or utensils since my kitchen is all black and white. I like to call it the Chanel kitchen haha. Time to add some color! Prop shopping will be happening this weekend. For now, my favorite cow creamer is making his debut!

Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Quinoa
Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Quinoa
Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Quinoa
Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Quinoa
Serves 1

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or nonfat dairy milk)
1/4 cup dry uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup raisins
2 Tbsp sliced almonds
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Combine milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and quinoa in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower heat and cover for 10-15 minutes until the milk has been soaked up. While quinoa is cooking, place raisins in a small bowl of water and let them soak. After quinoa has finished cooking, strain the plump raisins from water and add to quinoa along with the almonds. Serve hot.
Note: I think the light sweetness of the raisins is perfect with the quinoa, but if you like a sweeter breakfast you can add half a tablespoon of agave or honey to the quinoa and milk while it’s cooking.

Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Quinoa
The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: raisins
Whole Grain: quinoa
Protein: milk
Plant Based Fat: almonds

| 5 Comments
Lunch, Raw, Recipes, Vegetarian

Sunset Bunny Bowl

Hi everyone, I hope you had a fantastic bunny day yesterday!

Motivation Monday: “You don’t get what you wish for, you get what you work for.”

Obvi my favorite holiday since I was a little tike… haha Bun and a bun!

Easter Throwback
This bun is in bunny heaven!Bunny Heaven
Since I’m sure most of us ate our weight in Easter candy and… plug your ears… chocolate bunnies, NO! A Tragedy! It’s time for a little Easter detox. This Bunny Bowl was inspired by a photograph on Chobani’s Instagram. After seeing the photo, it was all I could think about, so I headed to the grocery store for some fresh ingredients to make a similar concoction. After a very long deliberation on what this delectable bowl should be named, I ended up going with “Sunset Bunny Bowl” which was reader Julie Scott’s idea! Please note that my awesome recipe names were vetoed: Rainbow Bunny Bowl, Chop Chop Bunny Bowl, and Veggie Nom Nom Bowl. April Fools on the last one haha. I thought those named were suh-weeeet, but apparently not so much! Easter Detox Bowl was a close second, but this “salad” if you will, can be made ANY day!

This colorful bowl is filled with protein, fiber, and micronutrients. It’s the perfect lunch for a warm day! Don’t forget healthy food should be pretty, we eat with our eyes! Pretty food= delish food!

Sunset Bunny Bowl

Sunset Bunny Bowl
Sunset Bunny Bowl
Serves 1

1/3 cup red bell pepper
1/3 cup orange bell pepper
1/3 cup yellow bell pepper
1/3 cup mushrooms
1/3 cup tomatoes
1/3 cup carrots
1/4 medium avocado
1/4 cup white cannellini beans
1/4 cup plain 0% Chobani Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp sliced almonds
Salt, pepper, & lemon juice to taste

Wash and chop produce into small pieces. Rinse and strain cannellini beans. Arrange chopped produce, beans, avocado, and almonds in a bowl and top with Chobani Greek yogurt. Add salt, pepper, and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Toss, and enjoy cold.
Note: I used canned low-sodium cannellini beans

Greek yogurty goodness:

Sunset Bunny Bowl
Sunset Bunny Bowl
The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots
Whole Grain: none
Protein: cannellini beans and 0% Greek yogurt
Plant Based Fat: almonds and avocado

| 4 Comments
Breakfast, Desserts, Lunch, Recipes, Snacks, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian

Gargantuan Green Giant

Prepare yourselves for the greenest green smoothie ever:
THE GARGANTUAN GREEN GIANT!

I was really craving ice cream the other night so instead of giving in, I started experimenting in the kitchen. I pulled out all of my favorite ingredients at the moment and decided to combine them into a smoothie. It turned out soooo creamy and actually tasted like a sugar cookie. Strange how those things work, right? Use healthy ingredients… end up with a creamy melty sweet treat! I love when that happens! Although I had this for dessert, I would probably have it for a meal because it has a great balance of whole grains, produce, and healthy fat. All you need is some protein powder and you would be good to go! The smoothie ended up being pretty big, so I told myself that I would only have half and save the rest for later. Well, that didn’t happen… and then I ended up wide awake pinning things on Pinterest! You guys are going to love this one! It’s a huge energy booster and so healthy, yet extremely delicious! Plus it is really hearty and filling, you won’t be hungry again for hours.

The ingredient list may look overwhelming and long, but everything can be found at Whole Foods or your local health food store. To get more organized and make the process faster, get out all of the measuring cups and ingredients and put them on the counter before you begin. This way everything will be easily accessible and ready to scoop and blend!

Gargantuan Green Giant
Serves 1

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 cups fresh spinach
1 frozen banana
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp almonds
2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp Spirulina powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 drops liquid stevia or other natural sweetener
6 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy cold.
Note: If you do not have a high powered blender such as Vitamix or Blendtec, start by blending the hard ingredients (i.e. almonds, oats, and spinach) with the almond milk to ensure they are thoroughly blended. Then gradually add the other ingredients. You could use a Tbsp more of almond milk or water to get the blender running smoothly because this smoothie is rather thick.
Side Note: If your blender cannot handle almonds at all, substitute for 1 Tbsp of unsalted almond butter.

| 40 Comments
Breakfast, Recipes, Toast Tuesdays, Vegetarian

Whole-Wheat French Toast

Guess what day it is?
TOAST TUESDAY!

Mmmmm a healthy twist on the ultimate kind of toast: French Toast! French Toast may have a poor reputation when it comes to healthy breakfast choices, but not when it’s pretty and perfectly portioned! It’s the perfect combination of protein, whole-grain, healthy fats, and produce!


Whole Wheat French Toast
Serves 1 

1 slice whole-wheat bread
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/4 cup egg whites
2 Tbsp sliced almonds
1/8 tsp cinnamon
3 drops liquid stevia or other natural sweetener

Combine egg whites, cinnamon, and sweetener in a bowl.  Soak the slice of bread in the egg mixture until it is absorbed. Place the bread in a pan lightly coated in cooking spray over medium heat. Pour excess egg mixture on top of the bread. Flip and cook both sides until the egg is no longer runny. Transfer to a plate and top with fresh raspberries and almonds.


The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: raspberries
Whole Grain: whole-wheat bread
Protein: egg whites
Plant Based Fat: sliced almonds

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