Salted Chocolate Almond Chia Muffins Recipe [Vegan]

OMG, these muffins! Salty, sweet, and moist with a slight crunch. In a word: heaven.

I discovered this recipe on Real Simple's Instagram feed and the next day I was in the kitchen baking them (with a healthier vegan twist). Do you ever do that-- see something on Instagram and actually make it right away? In my dreams I do.

In reality, I rarely actually leave a photo, go to the poster's Instagram bio to click the link, and then leave the browser window open long enough that the recipe is available to me when I can actually use the information.

Fortunately, I recently cracked the code to getting recipes I discover on Instagram (or anywhere else via mobile) into my belly: I use Plan to Eat to save and add to my meal plan recipes I discover online.

Below is my version of the recipe. You can check out the original muffin recipe at Real Simple. Maybe one of these will be the first recipe you add to your Plan to Eat recipe book.

Cranberry Pear BFF Steel Cut Oatmeal Recipe [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

Most of us are no stranger to the pear-cranberry connection. Every autumn, we begin to find it in pies, granola, stuffing, even cocktails. It's the t-shirt and jeans of cool season foods: pretty darned awesome but so classic it can easily be taken for granted.

Let's rememeber that this a combination to truly be grateful for. Pears have a tremendous amount of fiber and aren't too shabby with the vitamin C either. Cranberries have high concentrations of vitamin C, dietary fiber, manganese and vitamin K.

Let's celebrate the combination of sweet and tart with this warming cranberry pear steel cut oatmeal that will make you fall in love with the pairing all over again.

Creamy Oatmeal Berry Smoothie [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

This delicously creamy smoothie has a taste reminiscent of the Capt'n Crunch Crunch Berries cereal I enjoyed in my youth. I hope you'll give it a try. Oats are super good for you. I love that they are packed with fiber that helps me stay full longer and keeps things moving inside.

Print Recipe

Creamy Oatmeal Berry Smoothie

Source: oliviacleansgreen.com

Course: Beverages

Cuisine: Smoothie

Main Ingredient: Fruit

Prep Time: 5 min

Total Time: 5 min

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 3 cubes ice
• 1 ripe banana frozen
• ¹⁄₂ cup strawberries frozen, ideally
• ¹⁄₄ cup oats old fashioned or quick
• 12 oz coconut milk unsweetened vanilla beverage kind that comes in a carton
• 1 T ground flax seeds
• 1 T coconut oil
• dash ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Put everything in a blender. If there isn't enough milk to cover all the ingredients, add more milk.
2. Blend.
3. Enjoy.

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Side note: Doesn't my mason jar look sustainably chic in the EcoJarz wide mouth stainless steel drink top and stainless steel smoothie straw?

Edamame Hummus Recipe [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

These fresh shelled soy beans called out to me from the freezer case at Whole Foods, "Edamame hummus. Livi! Make edamame hummus." "What the heck is edamame hummus," I asked. "Don't worry about it. Just pick us up. We'll figure it out," the beans replied.

So I bought them and Googled "edamame hummus." Apparently, it's just like regular old hummus, but made with fresh soy beans. Brilliant! I was totally inspired by Oh My Veggies recipe for Better Than Trader Joe's Edamame Hummus. It seemed perfect, simple, and easy, so I just tweaked it to match what I have in my kitchen and my love of sauteed onions.

I normally make hummus in my big Kitchen Aid food processor. This time around I used the Cusinart mini-prep from my husband's bachelor pad to see if it could handle hummus. The machine got a little hot, but it didn't burn out the motor. So if you only have a little processor, don't let that stop you from trying this yummy, high protein treat!

How to Make Raw Energy Bars in a Vitamix [Vegan, Gluten-free]

Looking for a healthier snack? These nutrient-dense bars are sweet but free of processed sugar. They’re also packed with plant-based protein, healthy fats (Omega 3 & 6), fiber, and antioxidants. Have a few to get an energy boost without a crash.*

DIY Raw Vegan Energy Balls or Bars Recipe
Tip of the hat to the talented Tommy Nicholas of Raw Blend on YouTube. I basically followed his recipe. Watch his video here. This recipe makes about two dozen bite-sized bars or balls.

This recipes calls for using a Vitamix high speed blender. It's probably okay to use a good food processor if you don't have a Vitamix. Don't try this with a cheap blender otherwise you will burn out its motor.

Thai-rrific Cilantro Kale Smoothie Recipe [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

Thai-rrific Cilantro Kale Smoothie

Not only is this smoothie healthy but it's a great way to use up fresh cilantro when I've used some for garnish in Mexican or Thai dishes but have no idea what to do with the rest. 

This recipe comes from my fabulous surfer friend Jane.

Course: Beverages

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₂ frozen banana
• 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• ¹⁄₂ bunch cilantro
• 2 kale leaves (Frozen is fine. Spinach and romaine are tasty substitutes.)
• 3 or more ice cubes
• Seeds or vanilla protein powder
• Almond milk or coconut milk beverage or water) to cover, then add more to taste

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in a high speed blender. 
2. Blend on high.
3. Taste.
4. Add more pineapple or banana (then a bit more liquid) if you'd like the smoothie to be sweeter.
5. Enjoy!

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Carrot Cake Breakfast Bowl Recipe [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

Leftover rice: Great for lunch, dinner... and breakfast. Yes, IIN alum chef Andrea Beaman, the official cheerleader of whole grains, recommends eating leftover rice as part of a healthy breakfast. I am certain she was whispering in my ear with her awesome heavy NYC accent when I thought of this recipe for carrot cake breakfast cereal.

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Breakfast Cereal

Source: www.oliviacleansgreen.com

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 ¹⁄₂ cup cooked, leftover brown rice
• ¹⁄₂-³⁄₄ cup coconut milk (I like unsweetened vanilla coconut.)
• 1 large carrot (shredded)
• 1 small handful raisins (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 small handful unsweetened shredded coconut (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 supershakes of cinnamon (about 1 tsp)
• ¹⁄₂ tsp almond extract
• nutmeg weeshake of
• pinch sea salt
• brown sugar or maple syrup fairy-dusting
• 12 walnuts
• 4 tsp coconut oil
• 1 banana sliced

Directions

1. Put 1/2 cup coconut milk and the next 9 ingredients (up to salt) in a medium saucepan.
2. Heat for about 7-10 minutes on low heat, until warm and the flavors combine. Stir often. Add more milk as necessary.
3. Divide into bowls and cover with toppings. Toppings (per bowl): 1 tsp coconut oil and a few crushed walnuts. Delicious with optional fairy-dusting of brown sugar or maple syrup. If you're adverse to sugar, I bet a few slices of banana would be yummy too.

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Serves two hungry people who are serious about breakfast. Can also serve up to four people who prefer a light breakfast and are somehow not concerned that lunch is 4 hours away. (You folks are as mysterious as unicorns to me, but it's all love.) This could also be served cold as a rice pudding dessert.

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl That Tastes Just Like Blueberry Pancakes [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

Have a hankering for pancakes but no time to make them? Maybe you're avoiding gluten and sugar. Either way, try my Bootleg Blueberry Pancakes! Made in a single pot with high protein quinoa and superfood blueberries, this is just as tasty as a stack of blueberry pancakes, but easier to make and way healthier. This recipe makes about 4 servings so you can have "pancakes" for breakfast all week or share with friends. Yum!

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl That Tastes Just Like Blueberry Pancakes

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 30 min

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 c quinoa
• 2 c almond milk
• ¹⁄₂ t pure almond extract
• ¹⁄₂ c blueberries (I used wild frozen)
• 1 banana
• 4 tsp maple syrup
• 2 TBS coconut oil
• cinnamon to taste
• sea salt. to taste

Directions

1. Rinse the quinoa a lot. It's got natural pesticide coating it. It won't make you sick but it tastes terrible.
2. Shake out the water.
3. Add quinoa to a sauce pan.
4. Toss it around over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes to toast the quinoa and let some of the water evaporate.
5. Add milk.
6. Stir in blueberries.
7. Bring to boil.
8. Turn heat superlow, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
9. Take off burner for 5 minutes.
10. Remove lid and fork fluff.
11. Spoon into bowls.
12. Slice bananas over it.
13. Drizzle a little maple syrup and (about 1/2 melted TBS per bowl) coconut oil over it. Seriously, do not be a punk and skip the coconut oil! It's a healthy fat and takes this cereal over the moon.
14. Add a supershake of cinnamon. The spice makes this taste even sweeter so you don't need as much maple syrup. I also added a dash of sea salt because I love salty sweet.
15. Enjoy some today and save some for tomorrow, if you can.

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Kale Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe [Vegan + Gluten-Free]

These cookies are made for days when you have tons of kale that you know you should be eating, but also really want some chocolate. So they're basically the perfect everyday cookies.

Note: After conceiving the recipe, I checked with Fifty Shades of Kale cookbook to see if kale and chocolate cookies was a real thing and sure enough it was in there. I think my cookie recipe is better, but it's nice to know this kind of treat is tasty to people besides myself and could make it into a published book.

Parsley Almond Pesto Recipe [Vegan, Gluten-free]

Can I just say pesto is the easiest, tastiest healthy thing to make ever? It's also very versatile. You can swap the parsley for pretty much any herb or greens and you can sub any nut or seed for the almonds.

Traditionally, pesto is served mixed with pasta. You could also get creative and enjoy as a soup or stew garnish, with eggs or tofu scramble, with tortilla or pita chips, on a baked sweet potato, on a quinoa veggie bowl... you get the idea. Put it on anything. It's delicious!


Vegan Parsley Almond Pesto Recipe
This recipe was inspired by Aube Giroux's non-vegan but very good looking parsley almond pesto recipe. Love her!

Tofu Scramble Recipe [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

Tofu scramble is totally Vegan Basics 101. Whether you eschew eggs, want to impress a special vegan overnight guest, or enjoy eating a variety of protein sources, knowing how to make good tofu scramble is superimportant. Good tofu scramble isn't just about not cutting the tofu into huge cubes like a weirdo. It's about exploring your taste preferences and having a superfilling and nutritious breakfast.

Tofu Scramble

Source: www.oliviacleansgreen.com

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb firm tofu
• 1 onion or scallion
• green veggies
• mushrooms
• other veggies and herbs you love
• turmeric
• nutritional yeast
• seasonings
• tahini
• gomasio

Directions

1. Rinse and drain tofu.
2. Put the tofu in a medium bowl and mush it up with your (clean) hands or a fork.
3. Chop up some onions.
4. Sautee the onions with about 1 T of olive oil in a pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
5. While that's happening, chop all your favorite veggies and herbs into bite sized pieces. Don't forget the greens and mushrooms! Use frozen veggies if that's all you have on hand. Just defrost them in a separate saucepan first. Leftover veggies are fine too.
6. Add the tofu, veggies, and herbs to the pan.
7. Add seasonings you love. I recommend always adding turmeric and nutritional yeast for color and extra nutrition. I pretty much always add a little Braggs Liquid Aminos (hippie soy sauce with a very specific flavor) too.
8. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Your goal is to both cook the veggies and semi-brown the tofu, or at least cook off enough water so that it isn't soggy or runny.
9. Dish it out! If you're craving cheese or faux cheese (which is processed and has lots of sodium too), mix in a teaspoon of tahini (sesame seed butter). This is a tasty substitution that is also good for you. Sprinkle on some gomasio to add some saltiness and nutrition.

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What do you like to add to your tofu scramble?

Savory Oatmeal with Kale, Sweet Potato & Black Eyed Peas Recipe [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

I finally broke free from of my fruity comfort zone and branched out to savory oatmeal. Savory oatmeal is a great way to fit lots of veggies and protein into breakfast without doing the typical omelet or tofu scramble.

Keep reading for the recipe.

DIY Rose Water Cooling Mist (Post-Run Glow Up)

Feeling overheated and annoyed? Here's an easy, inexpensive, organic solution: DIY Rose Water Mist.

Rose water is great all year, but it's especially awesome to have on hand in the summer. It's recognized by the Ayurvedic tradition to have cooling properties. It's also anti-inflammatory and a mild anti-depressant. This makes it great for cooling you down when you're hot and angry and useful for treating sunburned and mosquito bitten skin. I feel so good when I spritz it on my entire body after running in the summer sun!

You could buy rose water, but why not make your own for a fraction of the cost?

You need:

• spring, distilled, or filtered water
• organic dried rose petals (available at Mountain Rose Herbs)
• mist spray bottle 
• funnel

Do this:

1. Rose water is basically a strong tea made from roses. Make rose water by pouring boiling water over rose petals. Approximately 1 and 1/2 heaping tablespoons for every 8oz of water should be enough. Cover and allow to steep at room temperature overnight.
2. Strain rose water into another glass or jar. Squeeze petals to get every bit of rosey goodness. (See detailed tutorial with pics in my blog post: How to Make & Use Rose Water.)
3. Use a funnel to pour the rose water into a mist spray bottle.Happy misting!
4. You can also add a little rose water to lemonade or sparkling water for internal benefits. Just make sure it's fresh!
5. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week. We don't want it to get moldy and gross. You can add grapefruit seed extract as a "natural" preservative, but there is controversy about some brands possibly containing parabens.

Adapted from a post that originally appeared on OliviaCleansGreen.com.

Amazing Amaranth Breakfast Bliss Porridge Recipe [Vegan, Gluten-free]

I finally tried amaranth! This teensy gluten-free "grain" (which is actually a seed) made the yummiest, creamiest warm breakfast cereal. Amaranth is high in protein, a great source of fiber, a has plenty of iron and calcium to boot. What a great way to start the day!

Some of you may be thinking, "It's July. Whachu talkin' 'bout warm cereal for?" But eating and drinking warm things can actually cool you down.

Try my recipe for amazing amaranth breakfast bliss porridge.