Chocolate peanut butter vegan balls (no bake)

A vegan diet is naturally pretty low on fat if you aren't eating a bunch of junk food, so I like to make little treats that are loaded with good fats.  I can pop one here and there to keep my energy levels up while breast feeding and chasing a crazy little baby!

Ingredients:
(makes about ten balls)
4 tbsp Trader Joe's vanilla hemp protein
4 tbsp raw agave
4 tbsp Naturally More peanut butter with flaxseed
3 large dates, pitted and chopped

Combine all ingredients until it forms a big, sticky ball.  If its too dry, add a tablespoon or two of unsweetened  almond milk.  Grab tablespoon sized bunches out and press and roll into balls a little smaller than a ping pong ball.  Refrigerate or freeze

"Kitchen Sink" Salad!

I often throw together big, yummy salads with whatever is on hand at the house.  This salad is a bed of spinach, kale, swiss chard.  The additions are soy cheese, chickpeas, crimini mushrooms, sunflower seeds and multi-color dried grapes.  Sometimes I will throw a veggie burger on top for an even heartier meal.  The dressing was a home made vegan cashew dressing:

1/4 c raw cashews
2 tbsp chopped shallot
1/2 c almond milk
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp agave
3/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients in the blender until smooth.  This makes enough for a few salads, store in the fridge.

Vegan carrot cake recipe

This carrot cake is vegan (no animal products) and gluten free.  Its a little healthier with coconut oil, carrots and unsweetened shredded coconut.  I made it with real sugar, but you could certainly substitute agave nectar, stevia or Nectresse if you wanted to avoid the white stuff!  I have to say, it turned out moist and delicious and even the non-vegans at the party had to have the recipe! Just don't tell anyone the frosting is made of tofu.....its so awesome they will never know!

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 c soy flour
1 c brown rice flour
1 c white sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
3 c shredded carrots (Trader Joe's has these ready to go)
1/2 c coconut oil
1/2 c orange juice (no sugar added)
1/2 c golden berry blend dried fruit(Trader Joe's)
1/2 c shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/2 c chopped walnuts
Icing:
1 c firm tofu
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp agave
1/2 tsp vanilla
mix in blender until fluffy


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish, set aside.
Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.  Add carrots and coconut oil.  Add OJ, then stir in the nuts, raisins and coconut.  Smooth evenly into greased pan.  Bake 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate for one hour.  Smooth on the icing, then return to the refrigerator for it to set.

Dark cocoa and coconut haystacks

Here is a quick, easy vegan recipe, literally five minutes!  It produces little balls of healthy fats- which is important to get in your diet, especially if you are eating a plant-based diet which is naturally lower in fat.
The fat is from coconut, which is a saturated fat, but a healthier one!

No baking required!

Ingredients:
1.5 c raw, shredded coconut
1/2 c agave (I used Blue Agave)
3/4 c dark cocoa powder
splash of vanilla
1/4 cup coconut oil

In a large bowl, mix ingredients together well.  With wet hands, form into small, packed balls about 2" across.  Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer.  I leave them in the freezer and grab one when I want one.  You can also wrap then individually in plastic wrap and store in the freezer.