no-bake energy bites I probably should have poured a nice stiff drink recipe for you all on this loveliest of lovely tax days. Especially for my fellow small business owners who just gave half of their revenue back to the government. Good grief, I won’t even go there. Instead though, I thought I’d offer my idea of a more comforting alternative. Pasta. When life is good, and when life gets crazy, I turn to pasta. And just as it has for years, this one hit the spot. Read more This past Friday night was meant for celebrating. The weather was sit-out-on-the-deck-in-the-cool-evening-breeze perfection. And a very special birthday girl turned the big 3-0. Friends, meet Stacey. Read more TGIF, friends. Hope that you all have had a lovely week, and that a relaxing weekend lies ahead. Read more Ever since my friends and I met for a tapas happy hour at our neighborhood Spanish restaurant a few weeks ago, I’ve had sangria on my mind. Read more Read more I’ve always said that I like a good balance of cooking and baking in my life.
Slutty Brownies Now I don’t want to over sell this, so I’m going to be conservative and simply say, that these are… The Best Brownies In The WORLD. I know, big statement. They’re called Slutty Brownies because they’re oh so easy, and more than a little bit filthy. They’re best served warm from the oven, with good quality vanilla ice cream (devastatingly I didn’t have any in the freezer this time, so I guess I’ll just have to make them again). They take about 45mins to make, including baking time. The ultimate comfort food, whipped up within the hour. You will need… 1 Box of cookie mix, 1 Box of brownie mix, 2 Eggs, 2 Packs of Oreos (double stuffed ones are even better if you can find them) Some oil & your favourite ice-cream (optional) Preheat your oven to 350F, 180C, gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with grease proof paper. Squidge (technical term) the cookie dough into a lined baking tray, until it covers the bottom. Cover this layer with your Oreos. Mix up your brownie batter. & pour over your Oreos. Bake for 30mins.
Hazelnut Chocolate Cake {Raw/Vegan} Saturday night we had a special dinner with family friends. For one weekend all 8 of us were around before starting vacations and school again; one of is even spending a year studying at Oxford(no, it’s not me; yes, I’m jealous). That called for cake. I had been wanting to make this recipe for a while and wanted to wait until just the right celebration. I actually made this cake for Father’s Day last year and featured it as a guest post on Gena’s blog. Hazelnut Chocolate Cake {Raw/Vegan} Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 0 minutes Ingredients(makes 5 2×3-inch frosted cakes): 2 cups hazelnuts1 cup pitted dates3/4 cup cocoa powder, divided1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup, divided1 medium avocadoCrushed hazelnuts for garnish Method: These took from start to finish about 20 minutes to make, maybe a little more than that because I was distracted.
Picky Palate dairy free raw coconut lime cheesecake recipe happy Friday luvs! this week just flew by. yes? we are very excited for the weekend! well Lori has some decisions to make this weekend. more details on that soon. but in the mean time we have a super easy and quite tasty recipe for you to enjoy. nothing beats celebrating St. Patty’s day with some yummy tasty treats right? not sure if you all remember but we made this raw coconut lime cream cake a few times before. just like our chocolate cream cake we seem to make and enjoy these mini cream cakes often. that is what dessert is for right? Pin It this recipe inspiration comes from our mom making a key lime pie. her pie is not one we would now eat. sorry mom. even though our mom’s pie is super easy and does taste good. we wanted to keep our version of key lime pie dairy free and made with wholesome raw ingredients that we love today. we prefer the new and improved version we have created. and everyone in our family loved our version too! prep-time: about 5-10 minutes Crust Ingredients: crust:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Smooth, creamy, decadent cheesecake studded with sweet morsels of cookie dough and bursts of mini chocolate chips? All atop a chocolatey, buttery crust? Garnished with sweetened whipped cream and more chocolate chips? Oh baby, sign me up for a cookie dough cheesecake IV. Hands down one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever tasted. P.S. One Year Ago: Cookie Dough Topped BrowniesTwo Years Ago: The Best French Bread Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Note: this cheesecake, like any good, baked cheesecake, tastes best after being refrigerated overnight. Ingredients Crust: 4 tablespoons butter, melted 2 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (I like to use chocolate Teddy Grahams but you could use any chocolate wafer cookie or even Oreos) Filling: 4 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature 1 cup sugar 4 large eggs 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup sour cream (I used light and it worked just fine) Cookie Dough: Garnish: Directions For the cookie dough: For the crust:
Raw Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake I have to admit, I used to have a sort of prejudice against raw desserts disbelieving in their potential goodness. Oh was I wrong. This is one of my favorite desserts I have ever made. Ever. The best pan to use for this recipe would be a Flexi-pan or other type of silicone mold. Find more Raw recipes on Veganbaking.net For the crust 1 cup hazelnut meal ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons raw cocoa powder 3 Tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pinch sea salt For the filling 2 cups raw cashews, soaked and rinsed ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons hazelnut butter (peanut butter works too) ½ cup coconut oil, melted ½ cup maple syrup ½ cup cocoa powder ½ cup water ½ teaspoon salt For the chocolate sauce ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla ¼ cup maple syrup ¼ cup cocoa powder 1) Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until it starts to come together. 2) In a food processor or mixer blend together cashews, maple syrup, water and salt. 3) Spoon or pipe the filling on top of the crusts.
Make Your Own Ketchup, Mustard, Mayo … Why spend a lot of money this summer on condiments from the grocery store that are, in most cases, loaded with corn syrup, artificial flavors, and preservatives? It’s easy to make your own ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and more right at home with ingredients you probably already have. Here are a few simple recipes for these favorite summer cookout staples: Homemade Ketchup Ingredients: 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in purée 1 medium onion, chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt Directions: Blend tomatoes and purée from the can in a blender until smooth. Homemade Mustard Ingredients: 1/2 cup dry mustard 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/2 cup water 2 egg yolks 1 cup sugar 3 teaspoons cornstarch Directions: Dissolve mustard in vinegar. Directions: In a small bowl, beat together egg yolks, salt, mustard, sugar, pepper, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice, until very thick and pale yellow.
Guest Post: Peanut Butter and Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies Hi Zesty readers, Megan here from Megan’s Munchies here to share with you another great sweet treat. While Zesty is off sunning in beautiful Jamaica, I thought I would share one of my favorite cookie recipes with you. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches were a big favorite of mine when I was younger. These peanut butter and banana chocolate chip cookies remind me of the comforting taste of those sandwiches with a little extra chocolate kick. Everything is better with a little chocolate…right? If you want a crisper cookie you can use all purpose flour. Ingredients ¼ Cup maple syrup or agave nectar¼ Cup brown sugar¼ Cup canola oil¼ Cup mashed bananas½ Cup peanut butter or soy butter1 Teaspoon vanilla extractA pinch of salt1 Cup oat flour¼ Cup mini chocolate chips Method Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Mix together maple syrup/agave nectar, brown sugar, canola oil, peanut butter/soy butter, mashed bananas, and vanilla.Add the flour and salt.
Pumpkin Monkey Bread September 23, 2011 | Print | E-mail | Filed under bread, pumpkin Monkey bread. It’s almost as much fun to say as it is to eat, and with the arrival of autumn, I couldn’t stop thinking about taking my usual recipe and kicking it up a notch with the addition of pumpkin – so, of course, I did. Making monkey bread has always brought with it feelings of nostalgia for me, which makes it one of my favorite sweets to share with family and friends. In fact, the day after I made it, I invited a good friend over so that I could share it with her, along with some apple cider – a lovely way to spend an autumn afternoon, if you ask me! For the dough: 3 1/4 cups flour, plus extra for kneading1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp cinnamon1/4 tsp nutmeg1/8 tsp cloves2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted1/2 cup warm milk1/4 cup warm water2/3 cup pumpkin puree1/4 cup sugar2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast For the coating: 1 cup sugar2 tsp cinnamon3/4 stick butter, melted For the glaze: Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
Cinnamon Toast Rolls The USDA released its new food pyramid the other day (which is actually a plate now instead of a pyramid), and I am sorely disappointed to report that cinnamon rolls did not appear anywhere on that plate. I think by now most of us know what should be on our dinner plate in terms of healthy, well-rounded nutrient-laden meals, but it is my considered opinion that our breakfast plate should include cinnamon rolls now and then. And not just any cinnamon roll, mind you, but how ‘bout a homemade cinnamon roll hybrid that is a cross between a cinnamon roll and cinnamon toast, is super easy to make and gosh darn delicious. In honor of their ancestry, I call these little gems cinnamon toast rolls, and here’s all you need to make them… Yep. Trim the crusts off of the bread Roll the bread really flat Brush both sides of the bread with butter Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar Roll in any fashion you like (I’ve also folded them into little triangles) Cinnamon Toast Rolls Click here for a printable recipe
Detox Foods | Detox smoothies Toxins-free for life Looking to increase your energy levels, to lose weight, get clearer skin, prevent premature ageing and to help preventing diseases? Then look no further! This 5 days step-by-step detox will help you implement long-lasting healthy habits that yields results. Price: $47 Price: $27 Smoothies are a great way to boost your fruits and veggies daily intake. Flat Tummy Rich in digestion supporting ingredients, this smoothie will help prevent bloating and digestive stress that can sabotage your tummy flattening efforts. 3/4 c. papaya 3/4 c. sliced peaches 1/2 pear, sliced 1 tsp fresh ginger 2 mint leaves Water to thin Skin Saver Antioxidants in berries are known to help to fight wrinkles and other skin ageing signs. 3/4 c blueberries 3/4 c pitted cherries 5 strawberries 1/4 avocado, peeled and pitted 2 tsp wheat germ (optional) 2 tsp ground flaxseed Water, to thin Peanut Butter Energy Booster This protein-rich and minerals-filled smoothie will give you long-lasting energy. Bone Lover
Pumpkin Bread Recipe Oh pumpkin season! There’s a chill in the air, kids and adults alike are planning their Halloween costumes, and carving pumpkins are pouring out of the local market. Now’s the time for pumpkin bread, don’t you think? Not all pumpkins are equal when it comes to cooking. Those large carving pumpkins? Most people use canned puréed pumpkin for baking recipes like this because of the consistent results. This pumpkin bread recipe is quite adaptable to different types of pumpkin purée and spice mixes. Recipe updated, first posted 2006. You can easily double this recipe. We're using melted butter in this updated version of the recipe. Ingredients Optional Orange Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar2 Tbsp orange juice1 teaspoon orange zest1/4 teaspoon vanilla * To make pumpkin purée, cut a small sugar pumpkin in half horizontally. Method 1 Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). 3 Butter the insides of an 8 x 4 x 3 -inch loaf pan. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Hello!