Category Archives: Snacks

Energy Snack Loaf (sugar free)(gf)

Posted on by Andrea

I love this loaf for many reasons. It’s refined sugar free, getting it’s sweetness from bananas and dried fruit. It’s an excellent snack between meals when you need something to get you through. I always bring this with me when I travel (sliced and individually wrapped), it’s proven to be a lifesaver during long waits between meals, great to take on a hike. It tastes amazing and it’s healthy. Once you have all the ingredients, it comes together quickly –it’s such a cinch.

*sub in your favourite dried fruits and nuts to make it your own

Energy Snack Loaf

adapted from a recipe by https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/

Ingredients:

Dry – mix together:

1.5 cups almond flour

1/2 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (or regular)

2 tbsp hemp hearts

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Wet – in processor (can mix by hand):

2 bananas – liquified (or mashed well with potato masher)

2 large eggs

1/4 cup of olive oil (or oil of your choice)

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Add ins – once everything is combined:

1 generous cup raisins or craisins (or dried fruit of choice)

1 generous cup pecans, roughly chopped (or nut of choice)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In large bowl, mix together the first 5 dry ingredients– almond flour, Gf flour, hemp hearts, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a food processor (or by hand) liquify the bananas, then add in the eggs and mix well. Add almond and vanilla extracts and olive oil and mix well.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the raisins and nuts, until well combined.

Scrape into prepared pan, smoothing top. Bake for 40-45 minutes until tester comes out clean and top is golden brown.

Remove from pan and cool. Wrap in fresh parchment and chill in fridge. It’s easier to slice when it’s cold. Enjoy.

I store mine in the fridge but it’s not necessary to do so.

Add wet mixture into the dry mixture
Fold in fruit and nuts and mix thoroughly
Bake till golden brown and tester comes out clean

Low Carb Nut Bread (gf)

Posted on by Andrea

bread1_Fotor

I threw this together today and really loved it so I’m posting it so I don’t forget it–it’s a keeper! What’s great about this recipe is that there’s no sugar in it, there is a decent amount of protein from eggs and lots of healthy fats. It’s baked in a 9 inch square pan so it’s not in loaf form, but you can figure this out for a sandwich or just butter it and enjoy alone or with a meal.
*for vegans – you can try this with flax eggs and see how it goes, I haven’t tried that yet.

Ingredients:

Makes 16, 2 1/4 by 2 1/4 inch squares. Cut it up how you like.

Wet:
4 large eggs
3 tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil, avocado oil)
2 tsp cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
I large apple, peeled and grated
3 tbsp almond milk (or other nut milk)
Dry:
2 cups ground almond meal
1 cup ground pecans
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325F. Line a 9 inch square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Whisk eggs, olive oil, vinegar, almond milk until well blended, then stir in grated apple.
In separate bowl, mix almond meal, ground pecans, coconut, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
Mix the wet into the dry ingredients until incorporated well. Pour/scrape it into pan. Bake 35-40 minutes until tester comes out clean. Cool, remove using parchment paper. Cut into squares once cooled, or into larger pieces as to your liking. Freezes well, wrapped individually.

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Homemade Hummus

Posted on by Andrea

 

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Homemade Hummus

Some simple ingredients are all you need to whip up this basic recipe for hummus.  You can adjust the flavour by adding more lemon juice, cumin, olive oil, smoked paprika…It’s delicious and healthy as a dip with veggies or pita, as a spread on a sandwich or wrap,  or even spread on a plate and topped with salad or curry.  Super versatile – don’t just think ‘dip’.

Hummus

adapted from the book Jerusualem

makes 4 cups

3 cups chickpeas (cooked or canned)

1 cup tahini

4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 cloves garlic

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup ice cold water

Method:

Drain chickpeas and place into food processor, blend until it forms a thick paste. Add tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Continue to blend, scraping down sides until mixed. Pour ice water through feed tube while leaving the processor to run for 5 minutes. Let hummus rest for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Will keep for approx. 4 days in fridge.

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Homemade Hummus

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Homemade Hummus

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Fruity Breakfast Pilaf (made with steel-cut oats)

Posted on by Andrea

Fruity Breakfast Pilaf with pecans (optional)

Fruity Breakfast Pilaf with pecans (optional)

fruity breakfast pilaf

fruity breakfast pilaf

I love this recipe, not only because it’s delicious, but because of it’s make-ahead ability, ensuring you have a healthy, low-glycemic breakfast that really sticks to your ribs.  Steel-cut oats are used, making this recipe a lower glycemic option to flaked oats or instant oats. Remember, the more processed oats are (or grains in general),  the quicker they convert to sugar in your body. So, it takes some extra time to cook these oats (30 minutes), but when you make a batch large enough for 4 or 5 days, it’s not really that much of a time investment. Just reheat in the microwave and Bob’s yer uncle, as they say.  Feel free to change up the fruit and nut component to your liking. You can find steel-cut oats in every grocery store in the cereal aisle.  ***You can use any grain in this recipe (rice, millet, quinoa – just adjust the water amount and cooking time according to package directions).***

Fruity Breakfast Pilaf

adapted from VB6 by Mark Bittman

serves 6 

Ingredients:

1.5 tbsp cooking oil (I used coconut oil)

I 1/3 cups steel-cut oats

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger

2 tbsp real maple syrup

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 cups berries, fresh or frozen (divided – 1 cup added at end of cooking)

4 cups water

Directions:

Put the oil in a large non-stick pan or medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.  When it’s hot, add the steel cut oats. Cook and stir for approximately 4 minutes until kernels are starting to colour and are well covered in oil. Add salt and spices, stirring until fragrant.  Add 4 cups of water, maple syrup and 1 cup of fruit. (I used blueberries). Stir, bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cover and let cook, stirring occasionally for about 25-30 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed and oat kernels are tender.

Uncover, and stir in remaining cup of fruit (I used raspberries) and serve with milk product of choice (very nice tasting with nut milk or coconut milk beverage) and additional nuts, if desired.  You can eat these without any milk product if you prefer.

If making ahead, let cool (covered) then place in a container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.  Reheat individual portions in microwave, or in a pan on the stove with a little additional water.

steel cut oats

steel cut oats

Saute oats in oil, add spices

Saute oats in oil, add spices

add water, syrup, nuts and fruit

add water, syrup, nuts and fruit

simmer, covered (stirring occasionally) for 25-30 mins

simmer, covered (stirring occasionally) for 25-30 mins

serve with milk product of choice and nuts (optional)

serve with milk product of choice and nuts (optional)

Walnut-Date Chews (gluten free)

Posted on by Andrea

Walnut Date Chews

Walnut Date Chews

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These are the best cookies if you want to avoid too many carbs, refined sugar, gluten, egg and dairy! Even if you aren’t avoiding these things, they are the best cookies. You know how after dinner you just want a little sweet? This fits the bill with absolutely no guilt and all pleasure.  It’s based on ‘bliss ball’ recipe but I’ve refined and adapted it to be even more blissful. I sometimes even crumble one on my yogurt in the morning.  They are a snap to make,  so get going.

Walnut-Date Chews

makes 16-20 cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups walnuts

1/3 cup dates, diced (make sure they are soft – reconstitute them with boiling water if they are hard )

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.

Place walnuts in bowl of food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times until roughly chopped.  Sprinkle dates over top and pulse 5 or 6 more times.  Add vanilla, maple syrup, coconut oil and salt.  Continue to pulse until walnuts and dates are finely minced and a nutty ‘dough’ has formed.  You may have to take the top of and move the mixture around, pressing it down, then pulse a few times, then repeat until it’s evenly processed.

Using a 1 tbsp scoop,  scoop balls of nut mixture onto cookie sheet.  Shape into flat-topped circles.  If using, place 2 chocolate chips on each cookie. (just for fun and a little hit of chocolate–so good).  Cookies only need to be about an inch apart, you can fit them all on one sheet.

Place in preheated oven for 9 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Enjoy! Store in airtight container for 1 week, or freeze for up to a month.

process until fairly fine

process until fairly fine

these are the best dates

these are the best dates

1 tbsp of dough

1 tbsp of dough

bake at 350 for 9 mins

bake at 350 for 9 mins

 

YUM

YUM