Peanut-Butter Carob Protein Freezer Cookies + Ice Cream

Oh my these actually taste like a Reese's peanut butter cup. I think the secret hear is adding salt or using a salted peanut butter. It adds so much to the flavour. We've been loving our freezer bakes! Especially since we're cutting back on grains and sugar.

3 tbsp peanut butter (natural stuff)
1/4 cup water
17 drops stevia
2 1/2 tbsp carob (or more depending on taste preference)
2 tbsp vanilla brown rice protein powder
salt (unless peanut butter is already salted)
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp chia seeds

Combine peanut butter, water and stevia until a pudding consistency is achieved. Mix in other dry ingredients until a dough forms. Flatten into cookie shapes, freeze, makes 6 cookies.

Reese's...honestly

Amazingly fudge texture

Juice! : Carrot, Celery, Fennel, Dandelion, Mixed Greens

Chocolate Blueberry Ice Cream: Avocado, protein powder, frozen blueberries, carob and stevia blended w/ frozen blues added right in

Peanut Butter Mallow Blaster Cups + Hummus

We have another grain -free freezer treat for you this sunny Friday. Peanut Butter Mallow Blaster Cups! It sounds like a hard core junk food doesn't it? Believe it or not these little guys are completely sugar free and 100% pure.

Chocolate Coating:

3/4 cup almond butter

6 tbsp coconut oil, melted

20 drops vanilla stevia

1/2 cup carob powder

Mix all ingredients together. Layer 1 tbsp on the bottom of 6 baking cups. Place in the freezer for a few minutes.

Next, spread a bit of peanut butter on the chocolate coating and then dollop a bit of marshmallow creme (click link for recipe) over the peanut butter. Spoon on more of the chocolate coating until flat on top. Freeze for about 1/2 hour until chocolate is set.

Cuppa cuppa

Blast off!

We also made this edamame hummus but didn't write down the recipe! It's basically just hummus with edamame beans and chickpeas. :)

Eda

And this is our new favourite coconut water! It's frozen, raw and unpasteurized and therefore not as sweet as the canned or boxed coconut water, but it has such a complex, stronger taste and flavour. So refreshing!

Hot Chocolate Mousse w/ Marshmallow Root Fluff

So awhile ago we were given a credit for Mountain Rose Herbs and we could pick whatever we wanted to review. Being the adventurous one I chose marshmallow root powder. I thought, hey! Maybe I can make my own mallows! Believe it or not, it actually worked! I couldn't believe it! You guys probably don't believe me but I swear it has the exact same texture as marshmallow fluff. Obviously it would taste more like it if you added actual powdered sugar, but we're sticking with stevia for health purposes. You seriously have got to get your hands on some of this magical powder. Marshmallow fluff still lives!

To celebrate this new discovery, we made a "hot chocolate mousse"

Chocolate Layer:
1 avocado
2 tbsp carob
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp coconut milk or water
about 8 drops stevia

Marshmallow Layer:
1/3 cup full fat coconut milk
1 - 2 tbsp marshmallow root powder (depending how thick you like it)
8 drops stevia

Blend chocolate later in a blender or food processor. Layer on the bottom of a glass jar or bowl. Mix together marshmallow layer by hand. Layer on top of chocolate mousse. Top with cacao nibs or chocolate sauce.

Dessert time!

Marshmallow fluffer

I'm trying to prove to you how legit this fluff is...close up!

The main ingredient

Avocado-Lime Smoothie

Whoa man this smoothie is really good, considering it has no sugar / or banana in it! Lime and avocado go well anyway, and gives this smoothie a creamy key-lime pie taste. I noticed that stevia goes really well with lime, because lime seems much more complex than lemon (it has some existential issues to figure out haha), there's a fun, vibrant flavour there that is just lovely in smoothie form :). The lime zest is vital btw! Without it, it will taste flat.

And on top of all the yumminess, the lime actually helps to break down fat in the avocado for better digestion. What's not to love in this smoothie!

If anyone is embarking on a sugar-free cleanse/diet, check our Inner Ecology ebook, it has all sugar-free recipes (and is fruit-free except for cranberry, lemon and lime).

1/2 avocado
1/2 cup cucumber, diced
Juice of one small lime
Zest of one lime
8-10 drops stevia
Water to thin
1 ice cube

Mix ingredients together in a blender, add ice if desired. Makes one serving.
Topped with QuinWow Quinoa Crisps, I've been enjoying these a lot on my smoothies/puddings for an extra crunch.

Key Lime Pie Pudding + Candida Diet Kick-Off!

We have been meaning to start an anti-Candida diet for a while now. Jac started one about a month ago but didn't end up sticking with it. Well this time we ARE sticking with it! I know 100% that I have Candida. I have all the symptoms; tired in the mid-afternoon, sensitive skin, achy muscles. And I took anti-biotics for acne a couple years ago and I haven't felt the same since then. I'm going to be following the Body Ecology Diet and Jac will be following a lesser intense Anti-Candida Diet. So we will be creating recipes based on these two diets throughout the summer! Yay!

Some of our recipes will involve eggs and fish because those foods are apart of the Body Ecology Diet. I thought about doing the diet all vegan but I just don't think I would be able to keep my energy up. Maybe later on when my system starts working better I will cut back on the animal products. (As you know we aren't entirely vegan in our personal diets but like to post vegan recipes like this one!)

So to kick off the Anti-Candida Diet, Jac made Key Lime Pie Pudding this morning and it was fantabulous! It's just like key lime pie filling. Creamy and smooth and cool! And there is a secret ingredient...frozen cucumber chunks! Sounds craaazy no? But it makes the pudding really cool and fluffy.

Tropical Treat!

Yum is the word, it's got groove, it's got feeling

1 large avocado
1/3 cup frozen peeled cucumber chunks
12 drops of liquid stevia
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1/4 tsp lime zest
1/3 cup of water

Combine all ingredients and blend in a food processor of magic bullet. Top with toasted coconut. Eat!

Also the randomly selected winner from Diet, Dessert and Dogs' e-book giveaway is: Meghan.

Meghan, there's no way to contact you from your profile so please let us know your email address and I will send the e-book your way!

Thanks to everyone who submitted their yummy breakfast ideas :) It seems like oats and green smoothies were the most popular items.

Tahini-tella on Toast

Quick and easy nutella made with tahini, literally takes 20 seconds to make and you're on your way to gluten-free vegan deliciousness!

1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp carob powder
1 tbsp hemp milk
10 drops vanilla stevia

2 slices gluten-free bread, toasted

Mix everything together! It's best if you add the carob powder last.

O.M.G. Mint Chip Flurry (Vegan, GF)

Oh My Freaking God. You guys. I cannot believe how good this tastes. :O I'm in total ice cream heaven. Please make this, or if you don't have an ice cream maker, go out and buy one and make it. Omg omg omg! That is all.

1 can full fat coconut milk (good quality such as Thai Kitchen)
1/2 tbsp agar agar flakes dissolved in 1/4 cup water
A few chunks of avocado, for colour (about 1/4 of small one)
1/2 cup xylitol (I used Xyla brand, see below)
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Dissolve agar in water in a small saucepan. Heat coconut milk in another saucepan on medium-low, add xylitol, agar mixture and all other ingredients except for avocado. Take 1/2 cup of mixture, blend with avocado and return it to saucepan. Chill in fridge until cold.

Make a half batch of Carob Chips

Make ice cream according to ice cream maker instructions. Spoon into bowl/cup and enjoy. Or let it freeze for longer in a sealed plastic container in the fridge.

This was our first time trying xylitol. Xyla Xylitol is extracted from North American Hardwood trees. It has a cooling flavour unlike stevia. You just substitute for the same amount you would use of sugar. And it only has a glycemic index of 7, that's less than most vegetables! You also may be surprised to know that xylitol occurs naturally in most living things, including the human body during metabolic processes.  And unlike stevia I find it goes better with fruit, mint and cream concoctions. I find stevia goes best with chocolate, tea and cinnamon flavours. I've also found that combining xylitol with coconut milk and agar makes for the PERFECT ice cream consistency, I think I've finally found my magical vegan ice cream formula. If you leave this in the freezer it doesn't become rock solid, it becomes smooth and scoopable. Perfection of detection!

Spirulina-Chocolate Pudding (Vegan, GF)

When I first started out on this health journey, one of the first things I bought was spirulina. I barely knew what it was, it just looked green and healthy sitting on the shelf in the health food store. Well I STILL have about half of the container left from when I bought it at the start of last summer. I just can't seem to find good ways to eat it without tasting awful seaweed. Well ever since I've started the candida diet I have been LIVING off of these avocado puddings, they are amazing! I decided to add some spirulina to a batch I was making just to see, I cringed as I added it and hoped for the best. One taste later and...it isn't half bad. A great way to get spirulina into your body!

Ewww, what are you eating?! Oh this? it's sludge from that swamp down the road...

2 small avocados
1/4 cup water
4 tbsp carob powder
15 drops vanilla stevia
1 tsp spirulina
Small squeeze of lemon

Combine the avocados and water in a blender (we used magic bullet), or food processor. Process until combined. Add rest of ingredients. Process until smooth and creamy. Makes 1 satisfying serving, or two small servings.

Buckwheat Granola w/ Stevia (Vegan, GF)

I was on a mission. Oh yes. Candida friendly granola. This granola was very crunchy, I repeat, VERY CRUNCHY. It was more like grape nuts, the buckwheat didn't cluster with the quinoa puffs. It was still very yummy with the cinnamon and stevia. You could use this for topping yogurt, smoothies, I made our Sunbutter Chocolate Bars and added the granola in for crunchiness, it was so incredibly good! You can get quinoa puffs in any health food store. If you don't like quinoa, try any puffed grain. Also, if you don't have chia, ground flax would work as well. 

1 1/2 cups soaked buckwheat
3 cups quinoa puffs
4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
25-30 drops vanilla stevia
1 heaping tbsp ground chia seeds mixed with 1/3 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt


Preheat oven to 325 F. Bake soaked buckwheat for about 20 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet (to dry out a bit) unless you didn't soak yours. Combine buckwheat, quinoa puffs, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Make chia mixture, mix in stevia and coconut oil. Mix into dry mixture. Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 40 min, stirring around periodically to prevent burning. Makes enough granola for 4 bowls of cereal. 

Curried Pea Mash (Vegan, GF)

This is probably the silliest thing we've posted to date, and yes another puree. This was made during one of those times when inspiration hits and you just can't help yourself! This pea-cauliflower mash is sooo soo good, I know it's extremely simple but simple is good right? For some reason peas, curry, coconut oil and cauliflower just go amazingly together. You have to try it out for yourself to really understand where we're coming from with this little recipe. Make this and I guarantee you will want to make it again the next day, or maybe even the next hour :P.

1/2 a head of cauliflower (can be frozen)
1/2 cup green peas (can be frozen)
1 tbsp coconut oil
2-3 tsp curry powder (or to taste)
Salt and Pepper, to taste


Boil water and steam cauliflower until tender, then add peas and steam until peas are cooked through. In a blender, combine cauliflower, peas and rest of ingredients. Makes 2 side dish servings.


I've made this four times, it's becoming a frequent staple :)

Sweet Cinnamon Panna Cotta w/ Stevia (Vegan, GF)

This is me being fed up with carob. Lol. I've had it pretty much everyday since starting the candida diet. And I'm not even sure if you're allowed carob on the diet but let's just pretend that you are :P. This was actually so delicious, it's really good as a drink too, just don't add agar and you're set with a warming gingery beverage.

1 can full fat coconut milk
2 tsp agar flakes
20-25 drops vanilla stevia
1/2-3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 ginger tea bag


Heat coconut milk, agar flakes, stevia, cinnamon and ginger tea on medium heat until agar is dissolved and the tea is steeped through. Fill two small dessert cups with mixture, chill until set.

Samosa Quinoa Bowl (Vegan, GF)

We try to eat as much quinoa as we can, I purchased some pre-rinsed quinoa which convinces me to make it even if I don't feel like it. Gotta use it up! We love samosas and indian food has a special place in our hearts. And we haven't even considered making gluten-free vegan samosas but after making this dish we are adding it to our list :) This is a rather easy meal that can be made in advance and stored in the fridge, the flavours will only get better with time. Love how turmeric makes everything so yellow and bright!

Sunshine Samosa City!

1 cup dry quinoa, cooked
1/4 an onion
2 cloves garlic
1 medium potato
1/3 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
2 1/2 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric (optional, for colour)
1 tsp ground mustard seed
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Sea salt, to taste

Cut potato into small chunks and coat with coconut oil, spread on a parchment lined baking sheet or in roasting pan. Roast until tender. You could also boil them if you'd prefer. Heat a frying pan to medium-low, cooks onions and garlic until onions are translucent. While you're doing this you could be cooking the quinoa. Add more oil into onion pan, add the cooked potatoes. Add in all of the spices except for turmeric. Cook spices for a minute or so. Add into the pot of cooked quinoa. Season with salt and turmeric, add in peas and put a lid over quinoa in order for the flavours to infuse. Drizzle olive oil and stir in. Serves 2 main dishes or 4 side dishes.

Sunbutter Chocolate Bars w/ Stevia (Vegan, GF)

Still alive and not eating sugar, can you believe it? It's been one week since starting this Candida diet, I didn't crave sugar the first few days but now am ravaging for it. Apparently it's part of the yeast die-off symptoms...dunno. So instead of spending time making delicious candida friendly meals, I stress about how to have a "sweet." I'm also realizing how much dessert has meant to me, I mean looking at it from a family/nostalgic perspective. I loved dessert and looked forward to it after every dinner, and would eat fruits and cookies throughout the day too. Here is a more than perfect solution. These bars are sooo amazingly good, you won't believe they are sugar free. When you bite into it, you get that chocolate bar "snap", it's amazing. We mentioned in an earlier post how well carob goes with stevia, well here's another taste! If you have an interesting stevia recipe of your own, check out this month's SOS Kitchen Challenge and submit your recipe for a "sweet" giveaway.

Beautiful Bars!

1/4 cup sunflower seed butter
1/4 cup carob powder
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (we used Tropical Traditions)
25 drops stevia
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Sea salt
Sunflower seeds

Melt coconut oil, combine with sunflower seed butter, carob powder, stevia, vanilla extract and salt. Stir until combined. Pour into mold of choice (we made our in a loaf pan lined with parchment.) Sprinkle with sunflower seeds/coconut/other nut of choice. Freeze. Makes 6 yummy bars!

Creamy Carob Ice Cream w/ Stevia (Vegan, GF)

So as I stumble along through this candida diet, I simply must have some ice cream. Stevia and carob are magical together, if you haven't tried it, well this is your chance. I usually make hot chocolate with carob and stevia and it always tastes so amazing so I made it frozen this time. It's actually sooo good, tastes kind of like chocolate soft serve (you know, the fake stuff...yum!). If you don't have vanilla stevia, just add in some vanilla extract. The agar agar makes it so smooth and creamy, I would never make a vegan ice cream without it. We're also excited to finally enter the Sweet or Savory Kitchen Challenge hosted by Kim from Affairs of Living, and Ricki from Diet, Dessert, and Dogs. Aaaand Woila!

1 can full fat coconut milk

1/3 cup carob powder (mine is roasted, so if you have low-heated carob add more in)
1 tbsp agar agar flakes
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp vanilla stevia (or more to desired sweetness)
Pinch of salt

Combine the agar agar and water in a small sauce pan, heat on medium until it dissolves and becomes gellified. Combine other ingredients in a blender, add in agar mixture and blend again. Pour into ice cream maker and make ice cream according to instructions. Put in a container and freeze until firmer.

Raw Tea Sandwiches: Salmon-Herb + Pesto-Avocado

Jenn made this awesome pesto last night with walnuts, parsley and sun-dried tomatoes, she ate it on pasta, I was just eating it with a spoon, so good. We made some raw onion bread and wanted to do something interesting with it so we made little tea sandwiches. These are so yummy, they don't even taste raw...or vegan for that matter. Raw vegan tea parties are possible!

Raw Onion Bread:
3/4 of a large sweet onion
1 cup ground flaxseeds
1 cup ground almonds (or sunflower seeds)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup coconut aminos or Bragg's
A few pinches of salt (if using coconut aminos)
2 tbsp water


Walnut-Parsley Pesto:
1 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper


Smoked Salmon Spread:
1 cup carrot juice pulp
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup hemp seeds/or nut of choice/ or 2 tbsp raw nut butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp dulse flakes
3-4 dashes liquid smoke (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion


Parsley leaves
Avocado slices


To make bread, blend onion, coconut aminos, olive oil, water and salt until combined.  In separate bowl, combine ground flaxseeds, ground almonds. Add the wet mixture into the dry, stir until combined. Spread onto a dehydrator sheet, score into small square pieces, dehydrate on 115 overnight or until bread-y.
To make pesto combine all ingredients into a food processor, process until combined. 
To make salmon spread, combine all ingredients except hemp seeds, olive oil and lemon juice. Grind up hemp seeds then add in olive oil and lemon juice. Add hemp seed mixture into carrot mixture. 
Top each cracker with either salmon spread or pesto, add a parsley leaf to the salmon sandwiches, and a slice of avocado to the pesto sandwiches.

Almond-Vanilla Detox Fudge (Vegan, GF)

I've been doing a detox for the past few days. Nothing fancy just decreasing salt, sugar, and fat intake while eliminating caffeine, peanut butter (tolerate weirdly), fried, roasted or toasted foods, etc. Increasing salads, smoothies, juices and whole food meals. Well I was doing just swimmingly until I was finding myself restless, tossing and turning throughout the night, it must be the toxins coming out right? No this was something else, this was a sugar craving! Chocolate to be exact. Jenn and I are major sugar addicts, if you've looked in our recipes section, sweet things constitute for most of what we make. So, since I couldn't have chocolate and not too much sugar, out of carob too, I decided to make fudge with almond and vanilla flavouring, it actually tasted amazingly good and subsided the sugar craves for now. I've promised myself I won't give in so easily the next time it hits. I also didn't feel like pulling out the food processor, so this delectably healthy dessert is just a bowl and a spoon away! If you are doing a stricter detox omit the coconut nectar and add more stevia.

2 heaping tbsp mesquite flour

1-2 tbsp coconut flour

2 heaping tbsp vanilla hemp protein powder

1/2 tsp pure almond extract

1/2 tbsp maca powder (optional)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp coconut nectar (helps it stick together, low GI)

10-15 drops vanilla stevia, or more for sweeter taste

1 tbsp raw tahini

1 tbsp hemp seeds

1 tbsp almond pieces

Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl. Add rest of ingredients. Form into balls or a slab. Freeze until firm. Makes enough fudge for 4 satisfying serving