I bet you don’t hear about a chocolate bean cake every day now do ya? Who said you couldn’t have your cake and eat your beans too? My new favorite flour to work with is garbanzo bean flour. It adds a nice rich and hearty texture to baked goods. The chocolate and orange flavors really shine through in this recipe and I swear no one will know they are eating beans, and brown rice flour too! Wait a second, is this sounding more like a burrito? The beauty is you can enjoy these beans and grains for dessert or as a meal… or both!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup garbanzo bean flour
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 3/4 cup Sucanat (or evaporated cane juice)
• 1/2 cup: cocoa powder and chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup flax seed meal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  
• 1/2 cup almonds (or other nuts)
• 2 apples
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/3 cup orange juice concentrate
• 2 Tablespoons orange zest

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly oil a 6-bundt pan or a 12-muffin tin.
3. In a bowl, combine the first eight dry ingredients.
4. Blend the almonds into a coarse flour.
5. Core the apples (leave skins on) and blend with the almonds, water, and orange juice concentrate until smooth.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones, sprinkle in the freshly grated orange zest, and mix until just combined.
7. Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Yield: 12 cupcakes or 6 bundt cakes

I wish I could say I whipped up this delicious dessert from scratch, but I was more accurately just the devourer (oh, and I shared a little with my husband too– just a little!). A few days ago we were in Auckland, New Zealand and stumbled upon The Blue Bird Vegetarian Cafe where we were thrilled to see their wonderful and creative bowls and mouth-watering desserts. This apple crisp was rich and flavorful, and mildly sweetened by the apples themselves. The raw cashew “ice cream” was smooth and creamy, and a wonderful complement to the apples and oats. We are currently in Wellington, but we’ll be heading back to Auckland soon, and we’ll undoubtedly stop by The Blue Bird for another delicious meal!

Below is a picture of the wonderful “Mexican Bowl” that had a brown rice base, and was topped with a creamy three-bean chili with seasonings unlike any I had ever tasted. I’ll work on recreating this chili upon our return to Portland.

What a yummy looking dessert you might be thinking? Well, as the title implies, these are more of a fruity breakfast bar. It’s kind of like packing your oatmeal to go… but tastier! You can mix up the fruit-filled centers, and add in some nuts and seeds if you’d like. Probably anything that you enjoy in your oatmeal would make a pretty nice addition. I’m not sure about bananas though? Make sure to let these thoroughly cool so you can cut ‘em into bars. Oh, and did I mention there isn’t any added fat? Just wholesome oats, fruit and more. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup agave (or maple syrup)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
  
• 3 cups frozen raspberries
• 1/4 cup agave (or maple syrup)
• 4 Tablespoons kuzu (or other thickener such as arrowroot or cornstarch)
• 6 Tablespoons cold water

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine the oats and salt.
3. In another bowl combine apple sauce, agave and vanilla. Pour into oats and mix thoroughly.
4. Lightly oil an 8 x 8 (or similar sized) glass baking dish.
5. Spoon in 1/2 to 2/3 of the batter and evenly smooth it across the bottom. Set the rest of the batter aside.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden.
7. While the bottom is baking, heat the berries in a small sauce pan on medium heat.
8. In a small bowl combine kuzu with cold water, mix thoroughly, and then stir it into the berries.
9. Turn heat to low, stir berries constantly and allow berries to thicken (5 minutes). Consistency should be like a thick jam. Add more thickener if needed.
10. Once the crust is done baking, cover it evenly with the berry mixture. Crumble the remaining oatmeal batter on the top and spread as evenly as possible.
11. Bake 20-25 minutes or until oatmeal topping is lightly golden.
12. Let thoroughly cool before cutting bars.

Yield: 9-12 bars

Everyone loves homemade chocolate chip cookies! At least, I’m pretty sure most people do. These little guys are irresistibly good, and the best part is they are good for you too. On second thought, it’s probably better if you don’t like chocolate chip cookies… otherwise these are going to disappear real quickly. At least they did in my house. My husband seemed to be snacking on a cookie every time I turned around. I’m happy to admit they are low-fat and made with brown rice flour. Not exactly your typical chocolate chip cookie. Cheers!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice
• 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  
• 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup flax seed meal
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine the first six dry ingredients.
3. In a blender, blend last four ingredients until smooth.
4. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix thoroughly.
5. Form dough into balls and flatten on an oiled baking sheet.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bottom is golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet to firm up before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Yield: About 25 cookies

These apple muffins are hardy, satisfying and moist. Feel free to add more spices for extra kick. If your gluten-free muffins are coming out very dense, try checking your baking powder freshness. Combine 1 teaspoon baking powder with 1/3 cup hot water. The mixture should bubble vigorously. I figured this out the hard way, after baking a big batch of these muffins and wondering why they turned out like little bricks. A quick trip to the store for some fresh baking powder remedied the situation. My second batch (pictured below) came out much lighter!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups oat flour (or 3 1/4 cups rolled oats)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t salt, nutmeg and cardamom
  
  
• 2 medium apples
• 1 3/4 cups water

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Lightly oil a 12-muffin tin.
3. Blend 3 1/4 cups rolled oats or use pre-ground oat flour.
4. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
5. Core the apples (leave skins on) and blend with the water until smooth.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix until just combined.
7. Bake 30-35 minutes until muffin tops are golden.

Yield: 12 muffins

Ok, ok, you don’t have to call these “WendyBars.” But they were inspired by one of my favorite raw snacks (Larabars), and so I couldn’t think of a more fitting name. However, unlike Larabars, these little nutrient-packed treats include soaked raw buckwheat. This makes them much lower in calories and fat! These bars are great for pre- and post-workout as dates are an excellent fuel source. Feel free to mix up the dried fruit and nut flavors and make ‘em your own!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup soaked raw buckwheat (1/4 cup dry)
• 1/3 cup dried cherries
• 1/3 cup medjool dates
• 1/3 cup almonds
• pinch cinnamon or salt (optional)

1. Place 1/4 cup of raw buckwheat groats in a jar or bowl and soak in 1.5 cups water (4-8 hrs).
2. After soaking, rinse and strain the buckwheat. You’ll want to pat the buckwheat with a towel to make it as dry as possible (some moisture will remain).
3. Place the almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
4. Pour the almonds in a bowl and set aside.
5. Place the soaked buckwheat in the processor and process into a paste.
6. Thoroughly mix the buckwheat into the bowl with the almonds.
7. Add the dates and cherries to the processor and process into a paste.
8. With your hands kneed the date/cherry mixture into the bowl of almonds and buckwheat.
9. Shape in flat bars or balls. They’ll firm up in the refrigerator.
10. Store in the fridge and consume within 5 days. Or store longer term in the freezer.

Note: If the bars turn out too moist, mix in shredded coconut or flax meal to firm.

These scones are great for breakfast or a snack anytime of day. They are bursting with orange and cranberry flavor, but aren’t too sweet. These scones are oil free, and get their light texture from the oats and pecans. If you prefer raisins, dried apricots or another dried fruit, feel free to mix it up. Happy life-celebrating Thanksgiving to everyone!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups oat flour (3.25 cups oats)
• 2 T flax meal
• 4 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
  
  
• 1/2 cup pecans (or almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 T orange rind
  
  
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries

1. Blend 3.25 cups of rolled oats in a blender until as fine as possible (or buy pre-ground oat flour).
2. In a bowl, mix the flour with the next 3 dry ingredients.
3. Blend the pecans into a coarse flour.
4. Add the remaining wet ingredients (except cranberries) to the pecans and blend until smooth.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ones and mix thoroughly. Stir in cranberries. The batter should be very thick. Sprinkle in additional oat flour if the batter is too loose.
6. Lightly oil a large cookie sheet.
7. Shape scones into triangles, or thick rounds.
8. Bake 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden on top.

Yield: 18 scones

I seem to be on a muffin kick as of late. I’d have to say it’s because of the chilly weather. I just love to heat up the house with a little bakin’. Have you tried baking with millet flour? I dare you to give it a try! These muffins turned out moist, lightly sweet and with a hint of lemon. Yum! Did you know millet is actually a seed? And it’s packed with fiber, B-complex vitamins, iron and much more. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups millet flour (2 cups millet)
• 1/2 cup org. evaporated cane juice
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
  
  
• 1/2 cup almonds (or walnuts, pecans, cashews, etc.)
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 apple
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
  
  
• 1 cup blueberries

1. Blend 2 cups of millet in a blender (or flour mill) until as fine as possible (or buy packaged millet flour).
2. In a bowl, mix the flour with the next 3 dry ingredients.
3. Blend the almonds into a coarse flour.
4. Add the remaining wet ingredients (except blueberries) and blend until smooth.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ones and mix thoroughly. The batter should be very soupy. Millet flour soaks up a lot of liquid!
6. Mix in fresh or frozen blueberries.
7. Lightly oil a 12-muffin tin and carefully spoon in the wet batter.
8. Bake 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until golden on top.

I was going through some old VegNews magazines and stumbled upon a recipe that inspired this creation. The mag’s recipe calls for a cashew cream filling to coat the roasted veggies, but I made a low-fat bean filling instead. The roasted beets and sweet potatoes create a super tasty and almost sweet filling. I’m excited to eat the leftovers tomorrow!

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sweet potatoes (or regular potatoes)
• 2 large beets
• 1 large onion
• 2 T coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 2 t cumin
• 1 t each: garlic and onion powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 10 corn tortillas (I used sprouted corn tortillas)
• 1 cup enchilada sauce (from scratch or using your fav pre-made)

1. Wash, peel and dice the potatoes, beets and onion.
2. Toss in a bowl with coconut oil and then add seasonings.
3. Evenly spread on two oiled cookies sheets and bake at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes (flipping halfway), or until soft.
4. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Mix bean cream filling (recipe below) with veggies in a bowl (leaving a little left over bean cream for the topping).
5. Coat each side of the tortilla with a little enchilada sauce and then spread 1/3-1/2 cup of filling into the tortilla.
6. Roll tightly and place seam-side down in a 9×13″ glass baking dish. Continue with all tortillas.
7. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top and drizzle remaining bean cream sauce.
8. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 15 minutes (until thoroughly heated).

And here’s the recipe for the bean cream filling:

• 1 cup navy beans (or any white bean)
• 1/2-3/4 cup water
• 2 T tahini
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 t each: garlic and onion powder
• 1/2 t salt

1. Blend all ingredients together or mash with a fork (add additional water if needed in blender).

Yield: 10 enchiladas and an extra cup or two of roasted veggie filling. Enjoy!

Thanks to everyone that came out to my Vancouver Potluck demo yesterday! We had nearly 30 people devouring the Punkin Muffins in my last post. I guess they were a hit. Today I’ll be getting things prepped for my Veg 101 “baking without eggs” demo on Sunday. I’ll be making these Gingerbread Cookies in addition to a few other treats. These cookies are gluten free, high in fiber, low in fat and sugar, making them a treat for anytime of day!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups brown rice flour (or oat flour)
• 2/3 cup unrefined cane sugar (or evaporated cane juice)
• 1/4 cup flax seed meal
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t nutmeg
  
  
• 1/2 cup almonds (or walnuts, pecans, cashews, etc.)
• 1 apple
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 T ginger (fresh)

1. Mix first 7 dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Blend the almonds into a coarse flour.
3. Add remaining 4 ingredients and blend until smooth.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ones and mix thoroughly. If batter is too dry, add 2-3 Tablespoons water to the blender to remove remaining wet ingredients.
5. Lightly oil two large cookies sheets.
6. Make round cookies, or shape with cookie cutters. (If using cookie cutters, lightly flour your cutting board before rolling out dough to avoid cookies from sticking.)
7. Bake 325 degrees for 25-35 minutes depending on thickness.