RawManda's NutFree Fudge Brownies

The original recipe for these amazing little bites can be found on RawManda's site HERE. She has so many creative, delicious and healthy raw recipes... definitely worth checking her out!

I followed her recipe almost identically but I used almond milk instead of water and 8 dates instead of 7. I also realized that if you don't have buckwheat groats you could easily make flour out of oats, although that wouldn't be raw technically. Either way, the recipe from rawmanda;s blog is listed below:

"Ingredients

• ½ cup buckwheat groats
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or bean)
• 2 tbsp raw cacao powder (or carob)
• 7 medjool dates
• 5-7 tbsp water

Instructions

1. Line a small container with saran wrap
2. Blend buckwheat groats in a high-speed blender or food processor until you get a fine consistency like flour.
3. Add vanilla extract, cacao and dates to the blender
4. Slowly add water as you blend.
5. Scoop out mixture and spread evenly in saran-lined pan.
6. Freeze overnight.
7. Cut into squares and store in an air-right container in the freezer.

Notes

If you're not using fresh soft dates, soak them for an hour before.
I wet my hands to make it easier to manage the fudge, it's very sticky! You can also wet your hands and roll/shape fudge into balls/squares."

These pictures were taken before letting it sit in the freezer over night. I gave it like 5 hours and couldn't wait any longer. They were fantastic! I enjoyed them with a glass of almond milk.

Cabbage Steak

Cabbage steak and side salad.

Slice cabbage thinly and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes on each side. Added some tahini salt and pepper :)

Today's Eats

These eats are from last Sunday, which was lazy and rainy and full of errands. I started the morning with two and a half of these perfectly spotted bananas. The rest were peeled, chopped and put right into the freezer for nicecream!

 

Later on I had a snack of 1/4 mashed avocado on a rice cake.

 

For lunch I had leftover quinoa with zucchini and green onion and a huge oil free tahini garlic kale salad from Whole Foods with pesto tofu, brussel sprouts (special treat!).

 

For dinner I spiralized two zucchini and mixed in my favorite homemade cheeze sauce.

For dessert I had a few pieces of RawManda's amazing nut free fudge brownie bites. Fat free, vegan... seriously sinful but not sinful at all! Recipe can be found HERE.

Veggies Only Shepherd's Pie

 You Will Need:

• Veggies! I used:

-4 small green bell peppers

-1 large flower zucchini

-1 large heirloom tomato

-6 basil leaves

-4-5 small eggplants

-1 large white onion

• 1 large sweet potato (I used a huge white (Japanese) yam)
• Himalaya Sea Salt
• 1/2 cup almond milk

 To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Rinse off the sweet potato, poke holes in it with a fork and either microwave for 10 minutes (until soft) OR boil for about 40 minutes
3. Chop all the rest of the veggies and steam on low heat for about 15 minutes (I steamed in a huge skillet with about 1/2 cup veggie broth in it- I started with the eggplant which takes longer to cook and only steamed the other veggies for about 7-10 minutes).
4. Drain liquid from skillet (save! It's a very nutritious and delicious soup!).
5. Add steamed veggies to a large dish. 
6. Once the potato is steamed fully, mash until smooth. Add almond milk and sea salt as needed. 
7. Spread a layer of the sweet potato over the veggies until fully covered. 
8. Bake at 375F for about 40 minutes.
9. Enjoy!!

Grocery List

 

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A few people have asked about my weekly groceries. I wish I had a list that I use year round, but it usually changes every few months depending on what's in season, what I'm craving and how my budget is doing. I've been using the list below for the past month or so. All of the recipes you've seen lately have come from it. I love being creative and finding food combos that make amazing meals- when you least expect it! When the only things left in the fridge are cauliflower, one zucchini, garlic and a few drops of almond milk... most people are one foot out the door to the grocery store. I'm reaching for the nutritional yeast and making mac and cheese!!

This week I'm adding dates to the list. Last week I added celery and stewed tomatoes. It changes here and there but if you stick with this base there's not too much to add.

This list is perfect for a low fat, vegan, gluten free diet on a budget. This provides me with 3 big meals a day and 3-4 snacks  for 6 days :) ~$70

Kitchen Staples (I usually restock 1x per month at most):

• Flax
• Cacao powder
• Broth
• Brazil nuts
• Rice/quinoa
• Bag potatoes
• Garlic
• Onion
• Ginger dressing
• Taco seasoning
• Raisins
• Spices (pumpkin, curry, cinnamon, salt, pepper, cumin, nutritional yeast, red pepper, nutmeg,cracked pepper)
• Oats 
• Tea
• Lemons

Weekly Grocery List:

• Water
• Almond milk
• Rice cakes
• 6 apples
• 5 cucumbers
• 6 red peppers
• 1 pineapple
• Boxed greens (romaine)
• Dandelion greens
• Frozen Spinach
• Beans or Tofu
• 5-6 zucchini
• Hummus
• Green onions
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1-2 avocado
• Bananas 8-10
• Cauliflower (usually every other week)
• Carrots
• Frozen Berries

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Some sample recipes I can make with the above list:

Chilli Cheese Fries

Loaded sweet potato (with southwestern beans, avocado, green onions and tofu sour cream)

Nice Cream

Chocolate nice cream

Bananavaocado Chocolate Pudding

Big Salad with Hummus Dressing

Veggie Stir Fry

Rice and beans

Rice and beans and veggies

Beans and Veggies

Sweet potato hash

Veggies Dipped in Hummus

Mashed Tofu with dipping veggies

Mashed beans with dipping veggies

Sweet potato with avo spread

Green juice (so many options!)

Detox green juice (previous post)

Curried Beans with raisins – with dipping veggies or in romaine boats

Curried mashed tofu with raisins - with dipping veggies or in romaine boats

Rice cakes with hummus

Rice cakes with mashed banana (choco?)

Rice cakes with avocado

Oats and berries

Veggie Soup

Bean Soup

Creamy Sweet potato soup

Sweet potato and apple soup

Tofu sour cream based creamy spinach

Flax crackers

Banana cookies

Chocolate banana cookies

Creamy Tea

Zoodles with Cheese Sauce

Cheese fries

Cheese veggies

Tofu soup

Homemade sushi

Pumpkin pie banana cookies

Pumpkin pie nice cream

Tofu or bean chili (will need canned tomatoes too)

Sweet potato pizzas

Oat flour crust pizzas with cheese sauce and veggies (red sauce optional)

Mashed potatoes

Mashed potatoes with romaine dippers

Mashed cauliflower fauxtatos

Romaine tacos with taco seasoned beans and veggie fillings (and tofu sour cream and avocado).

Today's Eats (Breakfast and Lunch)

 Ants in a pasture? Not sure what to call this funny looking mix of mashed avocado on brown rice cakes topped with sea salt, pepper and raisins :)

 Of course...the daily green juice. Recipe posted yesterday.

 

Chopped salad! Romaine, red pepper, zucchini, rice cake crunchies, raisins, green onions and a huge dollop of hummus as dressing. Mix well!

For dinner I went out with friends for wine and tapas :) 

Daily Detoxing Green Juice

This juice has been my favorite these days. It's actually more of a smoothie but the ingredients blend so well together that it takes on the consistency of juice :)

• 1 cup pineapple
• 1 tbs flax meal, ground
• 1-2 handfuls dandelion greens 
• 1/2 large cucumber, minced to blend better
• 4-6 cups water 

Blend for about a minute until no pieces or greens are floating around. Refreshing and cleansing!!

Weekend Eats

Saturday started out with some Ants in A Pasture:

 

...followed by a quick run to a local coffee shop where I met my guy.

This place makes their bread from scratch, organic ingredients and it's amazing. We got the veggie sammies on sourdough and had some coffee. I almost never drink coffee but we had a long night ahead of us so I knew I didn't have to worry about not being able to sleep. 

  It was so nice to just hang out and take in the weather and people watch. 

 

An hour or two later I used a guest pass and dropped into his martial arts class where I proceeded to get my butt kicked. It's Tuesday and I'm still sore.

 We ran some errands, came home, and I whipped up a chopped salad (romaine, red pepper, zucchini, cucumber, green onion and hummus as dressing). 

 

We went to a wedding that night and ate and drank everything horrible for us. It was tons of fun though!

Fat free, Pure Health Chocolate Ice Cream

It's hard to even fathom that this is actually healthy. Only two or three ingredients needed… 

• Two frozen bananas (pre-peeled and cut into fourths before freezing)
• 1 heaping tbs cacao powder
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup almond milk (any milk will do) optional to help blend.

Blend or food process until smooth :)

The more chocolate powder you use the richer the flavor will be. Honestly, this didn't even have an overwhelming banana flavor as you might think it would. It just tasted like rich and creamy chocolate ice cream. Amazing!

Curried Chickpea Salad Sammies

• *1 cup chickpeas, mash with a fork until all chickpeas are smashed.
• *1/4 cup almond milk
• *2 tbs curry powder or paste 
• *minced celery
• *chopped green onions
• *1/2 small box raisins (about 30)
• *pita, wraps or any bread desired
• *salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop romaine lettuce and layer bread or stuff pitas. These would also make great boats to serve!

2. Mix all other ingredients together.

3. Make sandwiches and serve!

Today's Eats

This is actually all from last Sunday but it still gives a good idea of what I eat when I'm not packing lunches and constantly on the go :)

 

Breakfast: 2 bananas, cacao, almond milk. 

 

Lunch: Whole Foods salad bar (kale salad with oil free garlic/tahini dressing), beans and marinated tofu. 

Snack: Daily detox green juice... *1 cup pineapple*cucumber*dandelion greens*flax meal*

Snack: Rice cakes with hummus

Pre-dinner dinner: Chopped salad of cucumbers, pita pieces, raisins, chickpeas, ginger dressing and green onions. 

For dinner I had a big old sweet potato, baked with avocado spread onto it :)

Easy, Healthy Chocolate Puddin'

*2 very ripe bananas

*1/4 avocado

*1 heaping tbs of cacao powder

Pure in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

 

That's it!! 

Today's Eats

I've been starting my mornings off for the past month with this green juice/smoothie:

*pineapple

*cucumber

*dandelion greens

 

Chocolate pudding for breakfast!! Recipe coming tomorrow. Couldn't be easier.

 

For lunch (which I ate at like 10am) I had mashed tofu with ginger soy sauce and mixed veggies for dipping.

By two o'clock I was hungry again and had some spring roles with peanut sauce and an apple. 

For dinner I just baked some patatoes into fries and dipped into organic ketchup :)

Cheers!

Farmer's Veggie Soup

 

In a large crockpot simmer (slow cook):

1 head celery, chopped

3 cups shredded kale

1 can whole stewed tomatoes (or 6 fresh roma tomatoes)

2 large russet potatoes, chopped

2 bags baby carrots

1 white onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic

2 handfuls basil, julienned 

1 tablespoon organic veggie broth

water to the brim

Simmer for 8-12 hours. Keep in fridge for 1 week.

 

Mashed Avocado Bowls and Carrots

 This is a quick and easy lunch or snack.

You Will Need:

• 1 avocado
• Salt and pepper
• Hot Sauce (optional, I use sriracha...i'm obsessedddd)
• Carrots or anything else for dipping

To Make:

1. Slice avocado in half
2. Remove Seed
3. Using the back of a fork, mash up the insides until it has the consistency of guacamole
4. Sprinkle some sea salt and pepper if desired and add a few drops of hot sauce

Dip in carrots or munchie of choice and enjoy!

Today's Eats and Exercises

Oatmeal with berries and banana at work

 The BEST sammie! I'm obsessed with my hummus, lettuce and tomato on toasted whole wheat with a side of hot sauce. I usually pack lunch so this is a little treat. The cafe folks know it as my HLT :)

 I also had a huge tupperware full of chopped peppers, zucchini and cucumbers dipped in a tofu based sauce. No pic, sorry!!

Came home and did the a quick circuit (above). 

Ab progress!!

 Had two big bowls of veggie stew I've been eating off of this whole week. Recipe coming Monday :)

Happy Thursday all!