Tea Time, Chocolate Chip Cookies

So why ‘Tea Time’ Cookies? These cookies are a bit more dry like a biscotti than a normal chocolate chip cookie.

These cookies are sure to power you up as they are packed with protein & fiber. They are also gluten & grain free. I ensure that you will be sweet tooth satisfied, full & energized with these cookies!

• Servings: 3-6
• Time: 25 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Credit: thekellydiet.blog

Ingredients

• 1 c almond flour
• 1/4 c coconut flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of pink himalayan salt
• 1/4 c melted coconut oil
• 1/3 c almond butter
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 flax egg (Mix 1 T ground flax with 3 T water)
• Small handful non-dairy chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. Prepare your flax egg in a small bowl & let rest for at least 5 minutes to thicken.
3. Add all of your dry ingredients to a medium size bowl & whisk.
4. Add your wet ingredients to a small bowl & whisk.
5. Pour your wet into your dry. Use your hands to mix & combine the dough together.
6. Fold in your chocolate chips.
7. To bake: I divided my dough among 3 small tart tins (sprayed with non-stick spray) & baked them for 16 minutes. You can also bake the batter on a cookie sheet as you would normal cookies for 14-16 minutes or until golden. Enjoy!

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

Who will you have tea time with?!

Savory Fig flatbread

FIGS!!!

I loveee fresh figs. They have a mildly sweet taste with a subtle hint of berry. You can’t go wrong eating a fresh fig solely on it’s own. The sad part is I can only find them in select stores a few times during the summer. They first usually appear in northeast produce markets in late June with a season that lasts through early fall.

This weekend I went to the Farmers Market to very sadly find out it was closed due to another event. To cheer myself up I drove to the produce market hoping they would have either persimmons, kumquats or fresh figs. And as you can see, figs they had!

This recipe is yet again my favorite – Yummy enough for dessert yet healthy enough for breakfast.

The base is a zucchini breakfast cookie, topped with PB2, fresh figs, strawberry, banana & fresh basil.

• Servings: 1-2
• Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

Breakfast Cookie Base:

• 1 T ground flax
• 3 T water
• 1/2 c oats
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of pink himalayan salt
• 1/4 c shredded zucchini
• 1.5 T unsweetened apple sauce

Topping Ideas:

• PB2, prepared (or any other nut butter of choice)
• 1 fresh fig, sliced
• 2 small strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 a banana, sliced
• A few pieces of fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a small bowl mix the ground flax with the water to prepare a flax egg & set aside for at least 5 minutes to set.
3. Add the dry cookie base ingredients to a medium size bowl & mix with a fork.
4. Add the apple sauce, zucchini & flax egg to the bowl & mix again until well combined.
5. Pour mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Use a spoon to form & smooth batter into a large circle.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Allow to cool & then top with desired toppings. Enjoy!

I ate mine for lunch along with a medium sized bowl of sauteed veggies & Italian seitan sprinkled with nutritional yeast. What topping will you add to your flatbread?!

 

Stacked Sweet Potato Breakfast Sliders

Let’s talk about Spiralizing.

I love to spiralize. Not that I used noodles much before, but I really do not miss them now that can make a plate filled with veggie noodles.

Spiralizing is simply using a spiralizer to cut veggies or fruit into long ribbons or strips.

My recommendation is to buy a good quality spiralizer from the get go.

• First I bought a hand held one, but it only worked for long skinny vegetables like zucchini.
• I then bought a plastic hand turn one. It allowed me to spirazle any vegetable, no matter there shape, but it broke after 2 months.
• I now have a Kitchen Aide 5 Blade Spiralizer that attaches to my mixer. I highly recommend this product because it is durable, works for any vegetable or fruit, & has 5 blades, which most others do not.

I think everyone should invest in a good spiralizer! It will give you the ability & encourage you to make so many fun, healthy, colorful & yummy dishes.

My favorite veggies to spiralize are beets, butternut squash, zucchini & sweet potatoes.

I usually create Buddha Bowls with my spiralized veggies, but decided to create more of a bun this time.

• Servings: 2
• Time: 35 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• 3/4 c spiralized sweet potato
• 1/2 – 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning  (I like Flavor God’s)
• 1 T coconut oil, melted (or one cage-free egg*, beaten)

*I try to avoid using eggs as much as possible for health & environment reasons. Using an egg will allow the sweet potatoes noodles to stick together better. Coconut oil will make more of a crispy platform.

Toppings I used:

• Roasted & sliced beets
• Plain greek yogurt or tahini
• 4 slices smokey maple bacon tempeh, baked
• Roasted yellow pepper
• Diced tomato
• Salsa
• Cilantro
• Roasted brussels sprouts, on the side

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450F.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat & add the sweet potato noodles.
3. Cook until they start to soften, about 8 minutes.
4. Transfer the noodles to a bowl & allow to cool.
5. Stir in the Italian season & melted coconut oil (or beaten egg*).
6. Place the noodles into the cups of 4 small muffins tins or 2 small cake tins, forming nests. Press them in firmly & freeze for 15 minutes.
7. Line a baking sheet with foil & place the firmed up sweet potatoes on the sheet.
8. Bake until tops start to brown, about 12 minutes.
9. Remove & stack with desired toppings. Be creative! Enjoy 🙂

What will you stack your sweet potato base with?!

 

Chocolate Caramel Bread

Before I dive into this post I just want to mention one thing, for as good as chocolate tastes, it doesn’t photograph well. I know you are thinking, how could chocolate not look delicious?! Well just give it a try & if you master the art of chocolate photography please share your wisdom with me.

So bear with me. My pictures in this post might not be the most aesthetic, but I promise you this bread is delicious.

 

This bread is savory enough for dessert & healthy enough for breakfast!

How?! It is:

• Sugar-free
• Oil-free
• Vegan
• Naturally sweetened
• Fiber & protein rich

Chocolate Caramel Bread ~ A savory & healthy bread topped with a date paste

• Servings: 11 slices
• Time: 1 hr
• Difficulty: medium
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Ingredients

Flax Egg:

• 2 T ground flax
• 6 T water

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 c oat flour (blended oats)
• 1/3 c chickpea/ garbanzo bean flour
• 1/3 c cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of himalayan salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/3 c pumpkin puree
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1/3 plain greek or non-dairy yogurt
• 1/2 c unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/4 c unsweetened plant-based milk of choice
• 1 tsp coconut extract

Caramel – date Paste:

• 6 dates
• Splash of plant-based milk
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Extras:

• Almond Butter (or any nut/seed butter of choice)

Directions

Chocolate Bread

1. Prepare a loaf pan by spraying it with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. Add flax egg ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk & set aside.
4. Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk.
5. Add all wet ingredients to a medium size bowl. Whisk until combined well.
6. Pour wet ingredients into dry, along with the flax egg. Mix until just combined.
7. Pour batter into loaf pan.
8. Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Caramel-date Paste:

1. De-pit & chop dates.
2. Add to a bowl of boiling water & let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Drain & add to a food processor or blender along with the milk & cinnamon.
4. Process until reaching desired consistency (I like leaving it smooth but still with a few date chunks)

Assemble:

1. Allow bread to cool.
2. Spread the top with your caramel- date paste.
3. Slice & enjoy. I recommend spreading your slice with a bit of almond butter as well for the ultimate treat!

Have you ever de-pitted a date & stuffed it with almond butter?! It’s like a healthy candy bar. Soooooo good! What would you change or add to this bread?

 

Cauliflower Overnight Oats & Porridge

Briefly describe yourself:

1. Dog lover (specifically my own dog, Batman)
2. Health nut
3. Wannabe Yogi & Rock Climber
4. Baking addict
5. Veggie advocate

Vegetables can’t talk so I promote their greatness! I don’t think my spirit animal is an animal at all, it’s probably a carrot.

How am I a veggie advocate?

• Even if I do not know you, I will tell you to eat a carrot.
• I will tell you to eat less meat.
• I will tell you to not disrespect a vegetable by frying it.
• I will tell you that ALL vegetables are yummy. If you don’t like a vegetable you probably aren’t preparing it correctly. Who likes the taste of raw broccoli? Steam or roast that puppy!

Are you….

• Still drinking soda (regular or diet)?
• Still eating ‘diet’ labeled foods?
• Eating meat?
• Smoking cigarettes?

Well knock it off, it’s 2017. We know what will kill us.

Now that I’ve gotten that off my mind, let’s talk about adding veggies to our morning!

So, I am currently obsessed with Cauliflower Overnight Oats. I love experimenting with food, so I usually make a variety of breakfasts in a given week. Since creating this, I have eaten a variation of Cauliflower Oatmeal every work day for the past 2 months… So yes, it’s good.

Why is it awesome?

• I love quantity. Because you are replacing some oats with a vegetable that has been broken down into tiny granules, you can add a lottt of it.
• It adds veggies to your morning.
• You can food prep it for the whole week ahead.

*Think of this recipe as regular overnight oats & all the different ways you can make it. I want you to make it your own by adding whatever fruit, spices or other combinations you enjoy the most.

Basic Cauliflower Overnight Oats

• Servings: 1
• Time: 15 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

Base Ingredients:

• 1 c cauliflower rice
• 1/4 c oats
• 1/3 c unsweetened almond milk (or other plant-based milk of choice)

Optional Add-ins (while cooking):

• 1 scoop plant based protein powder – I like Orgain
• 1/4 – 1/3 c organic plain or non-dairy yogurt (Top & stir in after cooking & slightly cooled)
• 1/2 T pure maple syrup
• Half a ripe banana, mashed
• Shredded zucchini
• Dash of vanilla extract
• Cinnamon to taste

A few flavor Ideas:

• Any fruit you have on hand, chopped
• Carrot Cake: 1/4 c shredded carrots, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 nutmeg, crushed walnuts
• PB, Banana: 1 T Nut Butter, 1/2 sliced banana
• Maple & Cinnamon: 1/2 T pure maple syrup, 1/2 tsp cinnamon,  1/2 tsp vanilla, crushed pecans
• Pumpkin Pie: 2 T Pumpkin Puree, 1/2 T pure maple syrup, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions

1. Add all base ingredients to a small sauce pan.
2. Bring to medium heat.
3. Stir & simmer for about 12-15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.
4. Allow to cool slightly then add in desired flavors & enjoy warm.

Food Prep: I recommend multiplying the recipe by 5 & cooking up a big pot for breakfast all week!

4. Allow mixture to cool & transfer to a jar or container

5. Add in optional flavors

6. Top with the yogurt (optional)

7. Seal & refrigerate.

8. Grab before you leave in the morning. Stir in the yogurt before eating. Enjoy cold.

 

Before we get to recipe #2, here is a picture of my veggie lover dog eating some cauliflower rice.

Cauliflower Porridge

• Servings: 1
• Time: 15 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

Cauliflower Porridge:

• 1 c cauliflower rice
• 1/2 scoop plant-based vanilla protein powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Bowl/ Add ins:

• Organic plain greek or non-dairy yogurt
• Raspberries
• Almond butter
• Nutmeg

Directions

1. Steam cauliflower rice until tender. (I steamed mine on medium heat for about 5 minutes)
2. Add to a blender along with the rest of the porridge ingredients.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Allow to cool slightly & then create a Breakfast Bowl with desired add ins! I paired mine next to organic plain greek yogurt, topped with raspberries & almond butter & sprinkled with a bit more nutmeg. Enjoy!

What flavors will you make?!

 

 

 

Zoatsss 2.0 :)

A few staples I ALWAYS have on hand in my home:

• All of the veggies (of course), more specifically always carrots, tomato, peppers, kale & snap peas.
• Unsweetened plant based milk, either cashew or almond (My go to brand is Silk)
• Organic plain greek yogurt
• Halo Top- b/c we all have our problems
• Coconut, almond, & chickpea flour
• Fruit
• Black beans, chickpeas, lentils, quinoa, couscous
• Frozen veggie patties
• Either tempeh, tofu or seitan, anddd
• Old-fashioned or rolled OATSSSS

And I am talking the big boy oats. The biggest box or bag of organic oats you can get, I buy. My local, natural grocery store, Fresh Thyme has a machine in store that mills their own oats that I am obsessed with. I have also gotten great oats at Farmer’s Markets.

Why do I buy in such bulk? Because of their versatility. I use oats for so many recipes in all meals (breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinners & desserts).

For breakfast, people usually think to add fruit to their oatmeal. Make it even healthier by adding shredded zucchini, shredded carrots, or cauliflower rice instead!

Here is a recipe to add a few more veggies to your morning 🙂

Zoats 2.0

• Servings: 2
• Time: 5 - 10 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

Zoats:

• 1 c old-fashioned or quick oats
• 1 3/4 c unsweetened plant-based milk of choice (can use water if out of milk)
• Half a zucchini, grated
• Half a carrot, grated (for this I used a purple rainbow carrot)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp maple or vanilla extract

Bowl Idea #1:

• Organic plain greek or non-dairy yogurt
• Sliced strawberries
• Bee pollen (not vegan)

Bowl Idea #2:

• Organic plain greek or non-dairy yogurt
• Homemade Cherry Chia Jam*

Directions

1. Add plant-based milk to a small saucepan & bring to a boil
2. Stir in the oats & reduce heat to a simmer
3. Stir in the rest of the ingredients
4. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
5. Make a bowl out of it! Enjoy 🙂

*Easy & healthy, Cherry Chia Jam: 1) In a small sauce pan add 2 c organic frozen cherries. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, mashing the cherries with a wooden spoon. 2) Bring mixture to a low-boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer & let sit for 10 minutes. 3) Turn off heat, stir in 2 T chia seeds. 4) Allow to cool & keep stored in an air tight container or jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

TB to this homemade Multigrain Struan bread I made. It takes 2 days to make but is totally worth it! I topped it with almond butter & the cherry chia jam… perfection. What fruit would you make your jam with?!

 

 

 

Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl

This week on the blog I am going to share some of my favorite breakfast bowl recipes. All are simple to make, require only a few ingredients & are easily adjustable to your taste & dietary needs.

Let’s start with the one I most recently ate, the ‘Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl.’ You have warm sweet potato paired next to cold yogurt that truly makes you feel like you are eating a sweet cinnamon dessert.

*NOTE: See Sweet Potato Toast post for nutrition facts & health benefits of sweet potatoes

It drives me crazy when people eat donuts, bagels loaded with cream cheese, or other unhealthy breakfasts at work. What bothers me almost as much, is when someone doesn’t even breakfast at all! Is this just me?

4 Reasons To Never Skip Breakfast:

1. It improves your focus & memory
2. It prevents you from overeating later
3. It lowers your risk of heart disease & diabetes
4. It’s yummy!!!

Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl

• Servings: 2
• Time: 1 hour
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

• 1 medium sized sweet potato
• Cinnamon
• Organic plain greek or plain non-dairy yogurt
• Blackberries
• Bee Pollen (not vegan)
• PB2

Directions

1. Wash the sweet potato, leaving the skin on*
2. Cut in half & poke with a fork several times
3. Bake on a baking sheet for about 50 minutes or until soft**
4. Cut & mash the sweet potato in a bowl with a generous amount of cinnamon (I use at least half a teaspoon, but adjust to your liking).
5. Add to a bowl along with yogurt & toppings of choice!

Other topping ideas: Any nut butter, pomegranate seeds, other fruit on hand, cacao nibs, nuts, seeds, goji berries, coconut flakes

*Eating the skin adds more nutrition such as fiber & potassium. In addition, baking or toasting a sweet potato preserves more nutrients than boiling.

• To save time & food prep, can bake a few potatoes in advance, mash, cover, refrigerate & microwave in the morning for a quick meal.

Whose hungry for the next bowl?!

Sweet Potato Toast

Why to love this recipe:

1. It really could not be any easier to make
2. It lets you be creative & use what you have on hand to make a yummy meal
3. It’s filling & yummy
4. It can be a quick breakfast or you can really dress it up & make it a complete meal for lunch or dinner

Why to love sweet potatoes:

They have a mighty nutritional punch!

• One medium sweet potato contains over 400% of your daily needs for vitamin A
• as well as an abundant of fiber & potassium.
• They have more nutrients than regular potatoes, with fewer calories.

• Servings: 2
• Time: 25 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• One large sweet potato

Some Topping Ideas:

• Plain greek or non-dairy yogurt, sliced blackberries, fresh mint
• Organic pizza sauce, pre-roasted & sliced beets, nutitional yeast/nooch, fresh basil
• Nut butter, banana, cinnamon, goji berries

It’s toast so be creative! Avocado, hummus, scrambled tofu, mashed beans, salsa…..

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F
2. Wash & dry your sweet potato. Leave the skin on.*
3. Cut your potato lengthwise into 1/4” thick slices.
4. Pierce each slice with a fork to help steam escape & improve the texture.
5. Lay slices flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat.
6. Bake for about 15-20 minutes at 400F. **
7. Allow to cool slightly & add desired toppings.

*Eating the skin adds more nutrition such as fiber & potassium. In addition, baking or toasting them preserves more nutrients than boiling.

**Note: You can also make sweet potato toast in a toaster. Toast on the highest setting of your toaster until tender when pierced with a fork.

What toppings will you use?!

 

Fudge Protein Donuts

I hope everyone had a fun holiday weekend!

I was at my parent’s cottage so I made some snacks ahead of time to bring & whipped up some bars there using whatever I could find in their kitchen that would work.

Of course the majority of my time wasn’t spent in the kitchen. We boated, biked, & were out in the sun as much as possible.

K, let’s talk about these donutssss. They are dense, fudgey, sugar-free, vegan, packed with protein & my favorite… yummy enough for dessert, yet healthy enough for breakfast.

We are so used to adding a whole cup or more of baking sugar to recipes. It’s not necessary! My baking sweetening secret is to use bananas, unsweetened apple sauce, dates, & occasionally a bit of pure maple syrup or raw honey. I sweetened these donuts with one ripe mashed banana which also helped to hold everything together & provide the fudge texture I was looking for.

Forget cutting carbs! Try combining healthy flours & grains in your recipes. These protein donuts are a combination of almond, coconut, & oat flour.  I used Bob’s Redmill almond flour/meal, but you can also make your own by simply grinding almonds in a food processor or high speed blender (Be careful not to over process or oils will be released & almond butter will start to form).

Here are some other flours to try out. Do some research on each flour before replacing in recipes. For example, coconut flour is extraordinarily absorbent & less is needed than most flours. You generally want to substitute 1/3 C coconut flour for 1 C grain-based flour. You also need to increase the amount of liquid.

Protein Fudge Donuts

• Servings: 7
• Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

Flax Eggs:

• 3 T ground flax
• 9 T water

Dry Ingredients:

• 3/4 c almond flour
• 1/2 c oat flour
• 1/4 c coconut flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• Dash of ground cloves

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp coconut extract
• 1/4 c organic pumpkin puree
• 1 ripe mashed banana

Toppings:

• PB2, prepared (Could replace with any other nut or seed butter)
• Cacao nibs
• Bee pollen (not vegan)
• Toasted coconut chips
• Organic shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions

1. Spray 7 donut holes with non-stick baking spray.
2. Mix flax egg ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside (at least 5 minutes).
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
4. In a medium sized bowl, mash & mix the wet ingredients.
5. Pour wet ingredients & flax eggs into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
6. Distribute batter among the 7 donut holes.
7. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.
8. Let cool & top with desired toppings (optional). Enjoy!

My Favorite topping was the prepared PB2 with Toasted Coconut Chips 🙂 What will you top yours with?!