Nut & Chia Jam raw bars

Don’t forget to follow my Instagram, @thekellydiet, for more recipes not posted on the blog! Like this ‘Mashed Chickpea Salad.’ 

Now for some raw bars!

Do you like Peanut Butter & Jelly? Well how about a raw bar made with Almond Butter & a Raspberry Chia Jam on top of a Cashew/date crust?!

Enticed?

Enjoy this raw bar as a filling start to your day or as a dessert to nip your sweet tooth in the butt.

• Servings: about 9 bars
• Time: 50 mins
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

credit: @thekellydiet

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 c cashews (soaked for at least 6 hours)
• 10 pitted dates
• 1/4 c coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Middle:

• Almond Butter

Top/ Chia Jam:

• 1 c raspberries (or other berry of choice)
• 3 T chia seeds
• 1/2 T lime juice

Directions

1. Add all your chia jam ingredients to a small pot on medium heat.
2. Mash your berries & mix. Reduce heat to low until everything it combined. Allow to cool once done cooking.
3. Drain & rinse your soaked cashews.
4. Add that along with the rest of the crust ingredients to a food processor.
5. Process until combined. 
6. Take about 2 T of your crust ingredients and press it into the bottom of a muffin tin. Repeat until crust is gone.
7. Spread 1 T of almond butter on top of the crust and freeze for 15 minutes.
8. When that is done distribute your chia jam amongst the top of the almond butter.
9. Freeze again until hard and you are able to remove the bars from the tin.
10. Keep bars stored in the freezer in a container. Let sit for about 15 minutes at room temp before eating.

If you make this recipe, snap a pic & hashtag it #thekellydiet @thekellydiet- I love seeing your creations on Instagram, Pinterest & Facebook!

Happy eating.

 

 

Raw Truffle Samoas

Don’t forget to follow my Instagram, @thekellydiet, for more recipes not posted on the blog! Like this ‘Multigrain Struan.’ 

It’s Girl Scout cookie season!

The good… they’re delicious.

The bad… it’s not hard to eat an entire sleeve of these yummy cookies in one day.

So here is a healthy version that not only tastes delicious, but will fill you up & give you energy! No more guilt when you indulge in a few of these truffles.

• Servings: 10 truffles
• Time: 20 mins
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

credit: @thekellydiet

Ingredients

• 2/3 c unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 1/3 c oats
• 1/3 c unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
• 8 pitted dates
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 T cacoa nibs
• 2 T non-dairy milk
• 1 T almond butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch himalayan salt

Directions

1. Bake 1/3 of the coconut on a baking sheet at 400F for 5 minutes.
2. While that is baking add to a food processor the other 1/3 of coconut along with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Process until smooth like batter and combined.
4. Roll 2 T of the dough into balls.
5. Transfer your baked coconut flakes into a small bowl.
6. Roll your doughs of ball into the toasted coconut flakes.
7. Store in a sealed container in the fridge. Enjoy!

If you make this recipe, snap a pic & hashtag it #thekellydiet @thekellydiet- I love seeing your creations on Instagram, Pinterest & Facebook!

Enjoy the weekend!

 

The Pizza Diet.

So you love pizza?

Want to eat it every day?

Go ahead 🙂

Because, my pizza is…

What else do you need?

Let’s start with the crust. You want one that is sprouted & high in fiber & protein.

I like Angelic Bakehouse’s 7-Grain Flattzza. 

Now for my favorite, 2-ingredient sauce.

• You will need: 1) Organic Tomato Paste 2) Thai Curry Paste (I usually buy red but have used green as well).
• Simply combine a ratio of 2:1 tomato paste to curry paste in a small bowl.

Fire up your grill or oven, spread your crust with the 2-ingredient sauce & load on the veggies!

Here are some combinations I like!

• Spriralized Beets, Cranberry Goat Cheese, Mushrooms, Peppers
• Beets, Shredded Zucchini, Pepper, Almond Cheese
• Beets, Zucchini Blossoms, Mushrooms, Basil, Nutritional Yeast

Grill/ bake according to crust instructions. Usually around 400F for 10-15 minutes!

Also, if you don’t have a pizza stone, I highly recommend 🙂

And don’t forget to check out my Instagram @thekellydiet

You won’t want to miss this Gingerbread Almond Butter recipe!

 

Pumpkin Cauliflower Overnight Oats & Pumpkin Spice Protein Cookies

If you have ever baked with pumpkin puree you know that it is almost inevitable that you will have quite a bit of leftovers. I have never cooked or baked something that used a whole can or box of pumpkin puree. Luckily there are so many recipes you can make with it! So, today I want to share with you two recipes to make with your leftover pumpkin puree.

You can make your own puree, but to save a whole lot of time I like to use boxed organic pumpkin puree.

So, let’s get to Recipe #1!

Pumpkin Cauliflower Overnight Oats

• Servings: 4
• Time: 15 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Credit: thekellydiet.blog

This recipe makes a great food prep for breakfast for the week!

Ingredients

• 1 small head cauliflower (about 4 c cauliflower rice)
• 1 c oats
• 2 scoops plant-based vanilla protein powder
• 1 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk (or other plant-based milk of choice)
• 1/2 c pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 c pure maple syrup

Directions

1. Either buy cauliflower rice or make it yourself.
2. Add all ingredients to a medium sized pan.
3. Bring to medium heat.
4. Stir & simmer for about 12-15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.
5. Allow mixture to cool, divide & transfer to 4 jars or containers.
6. Top with the yogurt (optional).
7. Seal & refrigerate.
8. Grab before you leave in the morning to eat for breakfast at work. Enjoy cold.

And here is my veg dog excited for some cauliflower 🙂

K, Recipe number 2!

Pumpkin Spice Protein Cookies

• Servings: 7 big cookies
• Time: 25 mins
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Credit: thekellydiet.blog

Ingredients

• 2 T ground flax, 6 T water (to make flax egg)
• 1 c oats
• 2 T coconut flour
• 1/2 c pumpkin puree
• 1/4 c pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 c uncooked quinoa (rinsed)
• 1/4 c dried cranberries

Directions

1. Mix the ground flax with the water in a small bowl & set aside for at least 5 minutes.
2. Add the next 6 ingredients to a food processor.
3. Process until combined.
4. Add in the flax egg & process again.
5. Transfer mixture to a bowl & stir in the quinoa & cranberries.
6. Scoop 2 T of batter at a time onto a prepared baking sheet & smooth with a spoon.
7. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.
8. Allow to cool before removing from sheet. I like mine best stored in the fridge & eaten cold. Enjoy!

For MANY more pumpkin recipes, like this “6 ingredient Pumpkin Mousse”, check out @thekellydiet

 

Crispy Almond Butter Protein Cookie

So everyone is obsessed with almond butter right?!?!

It’s just so delicious. Give me a spoonful of it, fill a date with it, bake with it.. all heaven.

Like yum, those granules just get me.

Almond Butter contains:

• Healthy Fats
• Fiber
• Vitamin E (Prevents blood lipid oxidation- a process linked to cardiovascular disease).
• Magnesium (Contributes to the health of your bones & helps you produce & store energy).
• Calcium & Copper (Both play a role in brain cell communication & keep your nervous system functional. Calcium also aids in muscle function, keeps your skeleton strong & enables you to make melanin, which helps protects your skin from the sun).

Remember to:

• Select all-natural almond butter that’s free from sugar & other additives. The label ingredients should contain only “almonds” or “almonds & salt.”  Or make your own!
• Keep portion size in mind. 1-2 T is all you need.

Alternatively if you have a nut allergy, try Sunflower Butter! It’s yummy, healthy & would make a great replacement in this recipe.

So, if you are feeling tired….

perk up with these protein cookies! Yummy enough for dessert yet healthy enough for breakfast!

K now for the recipe!

Crispy Almond Butter Protein Cookies

• Servings: 8 cookies/slices
• Time: 20 mins
• Print

Credit: thekellydiet.blog

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c rolled oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Splash of unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 c raw honey or pure maple syrup
• 1 ripe mashed banana
• 1/3 c natural almond or sunflower butter
• 1/3 c uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 c 60% cacao or non-dairy chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Spray a cake tin with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Add all ingredients, except the chocolate chips, to a medium sized bowl.
4. Mix with a fork until well combined.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Pour batter into the tin & smooth with a spatula.
7. Bake at 375F for 12 minutes.
8. Allow to cool, cut into pizza slices & enjoy!

Are you more of a pumpkin person? I made a similar version using pumpkin that turned out great as well & I’ve been munching on them as a snack all week! I will be posting this recipe on my Instagram: @thekellydiet

 

 

Vegan Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Quick side note: Some more simple recipes I post only on my Instagram: @thekellydiet.

Like my dinner last night…

Spaghetti Squash seasoned with Italian Seasoning; tempeh, peppers, zucchini & mushrooms all sauteed in Liquid Aminos; added to a bowl with diced tomato & sprinkled with nutritional yeast. So delicious, easy, healthy & yummy. You could also top with pizza sauce, pasta sauce or salsa.

So, for more plant-based foods that may not get posted on the blog follow: @thekellydiet

K now for some Enchiladas!

Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash, Pumpkin. – 3 nutritious & yummy foods that are interchangeable in many recipes ~especially breads, smoothies & casseroles.

All are excellent sources of Vitamin A & C and have a ton of fiber.

So for these enchiladas I used sweet potato, but feel free to replace with butternut squash or pumpkin.

These enchiladas are packed with nutrients & are extremely filling. I have made them four times & they have always been a crowd pleaser. I have made them with red & green enchilada sauce & enjoyed both.

So let’s get to the recipe!

• Servings: 4-5
• Time: 50 mins
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Ingredients

• One large sweet potato, cubed
• 1/2 c raw cashews
• 3/4 c salsa
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 15 oz organic box or can of black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 tsp himalyan salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• Handful of spinach/kale
• 1/4 c nutritional yeast
• 11-12 corn tortillas
• 1 18 oz package of enchilada sauce
• Sliced avocado, diced tomato & fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions

1. Prep sweet potato by either piercing with a fork & baking at 400F for one hour or chopping it into cubes & steaming until soft.
2. While that is cooking, soak cashews in warm water & set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. Drain cashews, then add to a blender along with the salsa & bell pepper. Blend until smooth.
5. Add in beans, spices & kale/spinach & blend again until well combined.
6. Pour mixture into a medium sized bowl. Stir in the sweet potato & nutritional yeast.
7. Take out a 13X9 pan & pour just enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom.
8. Spoon filling into tortillas, fold them up & place seam-side down in the pan. Once all enchiladas are laid next to each other, cover them with the rest of the enchilada sauce.
9. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
10. Allow to cool slightly & serve with desired toppings. Enjoy!

Are there any other veggies or spices you would add to the mixture?!

Almond Butter Baked Oatmeal

My brother & his girlfriend visited this past weekend so I wanted to make some yummy & healthy snacks. We knew we were going hiking at Devil’s Lake so I wanted to bake something that we could carry on the trek. If you are ever in Wisconsin, I highly recommend a day hiking trip here 🙂

No these donuts aren’t going to taste like a Krispy Kreme. They are not fried. They don’t contain sugar, eggs, dairy milk, etc. They won’t have that insanely sweet & sugary taste or airy texture. For some you may be thinking, how sad. But for someone who is used to a plant-based diet I rejoice.

My donuts are dense, filling, healthy, & protein & fiber filled. They also won’t make you feel sluggish or sick 🙂 Bonus, they are easy to make & you only need one large bowl to combine everything.

These can also easily be made into bars if you do not own a doughnut tin. However I do recommend purchasing one because things are just more fun in a doughnut shape.

So start your day off with one of my donuts that will leave you satisfied til lunch, energized & still hit your sweet tooth.

Almond Butter Baked Donuts

• Servings: 6
• Time: 25 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• 2 c old-fashioned or rolled oats
• 1 large ripe banana, mashed
• 1/2 c unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/3-1/2 c almond butter
• 1/2 c unsweetened plant-based milk of choice
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
• 1 tsp maple extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Handful of 60% cacao or non-dairy chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Spray a 6 hole doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray & set aside.
3. Add all the donut ingredients, except the choc chips, to a large bowl.
4. Mix until well combined.
5. Fold in the choc chips.
6. Distribute batter among the 6 doughnut holes*.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. Allow to cool before removing from pan. Enjoy!

*If you want to make these into bars– Pour batter into an 8×8 pan & bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Never completely forget about chocolate!

When your dog is spoiled & gets almond butter instead of peanut butter 🙂

 

Spicy Cucumber Noodle Bowl (containing 2 minute, creamy cheese sauce)

If you don’t use Nutritional Yeast/ Nooch, you have to start!

Not only does this superfood give your food a cheesy taste. It is also loaded with vitamins, contains protein & is low in calories.

I add nooch to soups & sauces as well as sprinkle it directly on cooked veggies & popcorn. You can buy it in bulk containers at stores like Whole Foods. You can also buy it on Amazon. I usually buy Bragg’s.

Okay so this post contains a simple, 2 minute Vegan BEAN Cheese Sauce. Tomorrow I will post a VEGGIE Cheese Sauce that will feature a pretty killer Vegan Mac n Cheese recipe.

Read til the bottom of the post as I will share the flatbread I made with my leftover sauce as well!

• Servings: 1-2
• Time: 20 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

Creamy Cheese Sauce :

• 1 can white beans (drained & rinsed)
• 1/4 c Nutritional Yeast/ Nooch
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 c unsweetened plant-based milk of choice

Roasted Veggies:

(Feel free to use any other veggies you have on hand)

• Handful of broccoli
• Handful of cauliflower florets
• 1/2 a Japanese eggplant, thinly sliced
• Organic white wine vinegar

Bowl Base:

• 1/2 a large spicy cucumber, spiralized
• 1/4-1/3 c Italian Seitan
• 2 leaves of rainbow chard, chopped
• Crushed red pepper

Directions

Roasted Veggies:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Add the broccoli, caulifower & eggplant to a small pan.
3. Pour a small amount of the organic white wine vinegar on top of veggies (about 2-3 T) & stir to ensure all veggies are covered.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.

Creamy Cheese Sauce:

1. Add all cheese sauce ingredients to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.

Bowl Base:

1. Add spiralized cucumber, Italian seitan & chard to a pan.
2. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in desired amount of cheese sauce, cover & cook for another 5 minutes.

Bowl:

1. Transfer the spiralized cucumber mixture to a bowl.
2. Top with roasted veggies.
3. Sprinkle with desired amount of crushed red pepper.
4. Store leftover cheese sauce in a closed container/jar in the fridge. Enjoy!

Look at my dog patiently waiting for some veggie leftovers 🙂

 

LEFTOVERS :)))))

Here is a super simple, quick, easy, healthy & yummy dinner to make with your leftover cheese sauce.

I love Flatout flatbreads. Most of their flats have a good amount of fiber & protein. They are great topped with vegan pizza ingredients, hummus & veggies, etc & then grilled or baked.

For this recipe I used their multi-grain Flatout. I also like their protein flat as well.

Veggie Flatbread

• Servings: 1
• Time: 10 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• One Flatout Flatbread
• Your leftover vegan creamy cheese sauce
• Veggies of Choice. I used: Kale, spinach, cauliflower florets, peppers, tomato & italian seitan.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Spread with cheese sauce & top with veggies.
3. Bake for about 6 minutes or until crispy. I added a bit of cilantro & sprinkled my flat with more nooch before eating. Enjoy!

*Can saute veggies prior to baking as well.

 

 

 

 

Why are people still counting calories?

STOP COUNTING & WORRYING ABOUT CALORIES! EAT AS MUCH PLANTS AS YOU WANT 🙂

There is no recipe in this post, I just wanted to share a quick thought on something that crossed my mind during lunch today.

I am so fortunate to work for a company that provides a free cafeteria for lunch that is filled with veggies.

While eating today I noticed just how much more packed my tray was (see image above) than anyone else’s around me.

I eat a lot! This is coming from someone that weighs just over 100 lbs (not saying that should be a goal at all, just putting in perspective the amount of food I eat & how much I weigh).

When I say I eat a lot, I mean both the number of times I eat during the day & the quantity. I eat breakfast, lunch, a snack, dinner & another snack.

I know programs like weight-watchers work for people but the idea behind it seems silly to me. I don’t want a bite of a dessert, I don’t want to count points or calories. I want to eat, eat a lot & not think about it.

How do I do this? Simple, 

& they are delicious 🙂

The healthiest populations in the world are plant based!!!

 

 

Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a fun, relaxing & veggie filled weekend. The featured image above is all the recipes that will be posted this week!

We had an apartment full of pups on Saturday. No complaints as my dog was pumped to have some friends over. If anyone wants to train a dog & give it to me so that my dog can have a sibling, please feel free 🙂

Alright, Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole… slightly confusing name but pretty on point. This recipe is 100% vegan, made entirely of veggies, delicious & filling.

I call it a casserole b/c the spaghetti squash base in not crispy like pizza but thick & soft like a casserole. This is then cooked, stacked with plant-based pizza options, & cooked again. The absolute best thing about this pizza is that you could eat the entire pan & only feel healthy about it 🙂

So let’s get to the recipe so you all can have a bowl full of pizza inspired veggies tonight.

• Servings: 1-4
• Time: 1 hr 30 minutes
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Ingredients

Spaghetti Squash base/crust:

• 2 T ground flax
• 6 T water
• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 T Nutritional Yeast / Nooch

Plant-based Pizza Topping Ideas:

• Organic Pizza Sauce
• Sliced zucchini
• Thinly sliced beets
• Peppers
• Mushrooms
• Spiralized Sweet Potato
• Smokey maple bacon tempeh
• More nutritional yeast
• Crushed red pepper
• Fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Cut 1 spaghetti squash in half, de-seed & cook face down on the parchment paper for 45 minutes.
4. Prepare flax eggs by mixing the ground flax & water in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes to set.
5. Once squash is cooked allow to cool slightly & then use a fork to scrape out the insides. (Can prepare spaghetti squash, cover & refrigerate up to a week before to save time). 
6. Add all base/crust ingredients to a bowl & mix with a fork until just combined.
7. Pour half or all of the spaghetti squash (depending on how thick you want your base) into a 8×8 pan. Flatten with a fork.
8. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degree.
9. Remove from oven & stack with desired toppings.
10. Bake for another 25 minutes.
11. Allow to cool slightly & devour. –No judgement if you grab the entire pan & a fork like I did :) -Enjoy!

*You can also make mini individual pizzas with the same cooking time & instructions.

What plant-based toppings will you stack your pizza with?!