cocoa powder

Desserts, Recipes, Snacks, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian

Chocomole

Since it’s a holiday weekend and I know you worked out extra hard this week, you deserve a little treat! Can you guess what the superstar ingredient of this decadent chocolate dessert is? I’ll give you a hint… it’s loaded with 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid.

Avocado!

Yes, this indulgent chocolates creation is made from heart healthy avocado, antioxidant rich cocoa, sweet fiber dense dates, and creamy almond milk! This is the perfect afternoon pick me up to give your body the boost it needs.

Chocomole is so much fun, and so versatile, the possibilities are endless!
Use as:
pudding
spread on a slice of whole grain toast
dip for whole grain pretzels or strawberries
mousse or filling
vegan frosting


Chocomole
makes 4 servings

1 large ripe Hass avocado
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup pitted medjool dates
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Remove pits from dates. Slice avocado and remove the pit. Using a spoon, scoop the green flesh from the skin. Combine the avocado, dates, and all other ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender and blend until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour and serve.
Note: I like to refrigerate my avocado beforehand.

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Breakfast, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Chocolate Cake Batter Overnight Oats

I love overnight oats. I love how chewy the oats get. The texture is reminiscent of soggy cereal once it has sat in milk for some time. I have realized that some people may not love the texture as much as I do, so I wanted to give my readers another option for eating overnight oats.

I made 2 identical batches of overnight oats but blended one until smooth before refrigerating. I did a taste/texture test the next morning and loved both! The blended oats might as well be called oatmeal without the oats. It was creamy and smooth, and tasted like chocolate cake batter! I really liked both versions, but favor the classic unblended overnight oats because it is chewy and makes me slow down while eating.

Do a taste/texture test and see which way you like your oats!

 

Chocolate Cake Batter Overnight Oats
Serves 1

1/4 cup whole rolled oats
1/4 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
1/2 ripe banana
1/2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar or container and refrigerate overnight.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: banana
Whole Grain: whole rolled oats
Protein: almond milk
Plant Based Fat: chia seeds

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Desserts, Recipes, Treats

Vegetables… In My Brownies?!

Uh oh, it’s April 1. We all know what that means… April Fool’s Day!
What if I told you that this indeed is no joke. These brownies really are made of veggies!

YES, HEALTHY BROWNIES DO EXIST!

Trick all of your friends, coworkers, and family members with the tastiest, healthiest April Fool’s prank yet! They will have no idea that these rich chocolate brownies are made of vegetables! Not to mention; vegan, gluten free, and contain no refined sugar, butter, oil, or salt! Take that Paula Dean.

Just make sure that no one is allergic to the secret superstar ingredients first… because that would not be fun!

I love Chef AJ’s original Black Bean Brownie recipe, but I didn’t have barley flour or date syrup on hand, so I did some trial and error with flours, making my own date paste/syrup, and added spinach! I made 2 different batches to ensure they were perfect before posting, and I found that almond meal/flour tasted the best and gave the greatest consistency. I wanted to give whole-wheat flour and try, but it came out like rubber! As I was experimenting, I found that blending the ingredients in a particular order made the process much more efficient.

Remember, even though these are made from whole healthy ingredients, that they are still treats and should be enjoyed in moderation. But go ahead, lick the batter straight from the bowl, there are no eggs!

Black Bean & Spinach Brownies
Recipe adapted from Chef AJ
Makes 9 servings

15oz, can no salt added black beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cups fresh spinach
12 medjool dates (pitted)
1 cup water
½ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup almond flour
Optional 2 Tbsp dark chocolate chips or vegan carob chips – as a topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a high-powered blender or food processor (I used my Vitamix!) combine the dates and water, blending until thick smooth paste is formed. Add the fresh spinach to the paste and mix until smooth. Next, add the beans and vanilla extract and blend. Finally, add the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and almond flour. Blend until batter is mixed evenly. Scrape the sides of the blender or food processor as needed, as the batter will become very thick. Once batter is smooth, pour into an 8 x 8 cooking pan, lightly coated with olive oil spray. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Optional: when brownies have finished baking, sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and let them melt in the oven for 1 additional minute. Remove brownies from the oven and spread melted chocolate chips evenly with a spatula.

Note: I checked the brownies after 35 minutes and they were still raw in the middle, so I kept cooking them in 10 minute increments, checking with a toothpick each time. The brownies took around 50 minutes to completely cook.

Side Note: I have not tried using deglet noor dates (the smaller, lighter dates) but if you use them in place of medjool, I suggest doubling the quantity to 22 since they are half the size.

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