Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Gluten free, dairy free, sugar free)

Who wants a fiber and protein packed chocolate chunk cookie that could easily pass as breakfast on the go instead of dessert? Um yeah that's right, me!

Ready for some odd sounding ingredients that I promise will rock your world if blended like crazy?

Ingredients:
1 can drained and rinsed Garbanzo beans
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tbs almond butter
1/4 cup agave or 1 tsp vanilla stevia plus 6 tbs of unstweened coconut milk (use stevia for Slenderiiz approved)
1 pinch of salt
1 cup chocolate chunk I use "Coco Polo 70% dark chocolate"  because it's sweetend with stevia, gluten free and dairy free plus no GMO and great taste! We purchase it from Natural Grocers.
1/2 tbs coconut oil

Instructions:
In a high powered blender blend all the indredient except the chocolate until smooth and evenly integrated.
While still packaged smash the chocolate with something heavy (I use a tenderizing hammer or a full can of beans).
remove the blade from your blender or scrape mixture in to a bowl. Stir in the chocolate chunks (I also use the dough "blade" for my Ninja and it works great without over chopping the chocolate).

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Grease your hands with a little coconut oil and roll about 2 tbs of dough in your hands and then flatten and place on the parchment paper. You will probably have to reapply the coconut oil every 2-3 cookies to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.

Note: The cookies do not rise or spread so how you form them is how they will look once baked.

Preheat the oven to 350 deg.
Bake for 15-20 minutes and let set for a couple minutes before eating.

Enjoy!

Quinoa "tortillas" (faux corn tortillas)

My family loves Mexican food! In order to have tacos and enchiladas that fit with in our Slenderiiz eating clean lifestyle we gave up corn which means no corn tortillas. I've looked around and tried multiple different versions of tortilla recipes and found them to be way too complicated for my patience. So after a couple tries I came up with these and they're great for tacos and for enchiladas!

Ground chicken tacos!

Verde Lasagna styled enchiladas =) (quinoa tortillas laid flat instead of rolled)

Easy peasy ready for this?

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

8 eggs

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions:

Rinse the quinoa to remove the bitter starch.

Cook quinoa by adding the quinoa and water in a sauce pot. Bring to boil and cover with a lid. Remove from heat and let sit until all the water is absorbed.

Fluff with a fork and let cool (either in fridge or to room temp)

In a high powered blender (I used my Ninja) blend the cooked (and cooled) quinoa, eggs, and seasonings.

Blend until smooth.

Heat up non-stick skillet or crepe pan (I used a crepe pan for convenience).

Brown on both sides and layer parchment paper in between each tortilla as you finish.

Note: After you spoon the mixture on to the hot skillet/pan spread out with the bottom of a non-metal spoon like a ladle. 

Voila! Done =)

Makes about a dozen medium sized tortillas.

Almond Joy bites (Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

If it were possible to make RAW, VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE, SUGAR FREE candy on the large scale I would make these for the world and no one would be the wiser that these [in moderation] are nutritious and so good for you!
These are my favorite little morsels that are perfect for phase 3 (maintaining weight loss), I'm working on a quinoa based version that will be phase 2 (weight loss) approved for the Slenderiiz program.

Ingredients (for half dozen)

7 pitted dates

1 tbs flax seeds (or 1/4 tbs flax seed meal)
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (solid not melted)

3 tbs unsweetened coconut powder

1/4 cup raw almonds

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 unsweetened coconut shred

In a food processor or good blender pulse 7 pitted dates, 1 tbs flax seeds, 1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
3 tbs unsweetened coconut powder. When the mixture is crumbly add 1/4 cup raw almonds and 1/8 tsp salt and pulse a couple times so the almonds are chopped but not pureed. Cover a plate with 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, scoop a palm size mixture in your hand and roll into a ball then roll in the coconut. This should make about 6 truffles. Put in the fridge to firm up and enjoy =)

I intentionally did a small serving size for our family to enjoy, because with all things moderation is key!

Vegan Protein Bites

The recipe I'm about to share was inspired by a similar recipe that can viewed at http://chefambershea.com/2012/05/03/cake-batter-balls-raw-vegan-high-protein-glutengrainsoynutseedsugar-free/

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Pure Nourish (Vegan Protein Powder purchased HERE)
2 tbs coconut flour
1 tbs melted coconut oil
4-6 tbs canned whole coconut milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
(optional) blueberries

Mix all of the dry ingredients together first then mix in the coconut oil and vanilla extract. Use a spoon to stir in the coconut milk, start with 4 tbs add more if the mixture is too dry to hold together. Once the mixture is crumbly but comes together like play dough roll into 6 even balls. At this point you can  top with some blueberries or chopped nuts/seeds or you can leave them as is and put them in the refrigerator to set and chill.

These are a delicious treat or snack for before or after a workout or if you're craving a cookie. Remember, all things in moderation! Limit yourself to 2-3 per snack.

A lighter more flavorful spin on a Chicken salad

Who doesn't love chicken salad? The problem is usually its full of mayo and chicken and bread which doesn't really provide much nutritional value to your day. Here's my absolute favorite chicken salad mix on a bed of spring greens. 

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast cooked and cooled (you can boil or bake or use left over rotisserie)

1/2 tbs olive oil based mayo or veganaise

1/2 an orange

4 dried apricots

1/2 cup red grapes

optional garnish** sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, Chopped basil

2 cups lettuce of greens of your choice (I like the spring mix with baby herbs and spinach)

Note: Don't like Mayo? no problem! Substitute greek yogurt, or 1/2 tbs mashed avocado, or 1/2 tbs of olive oil emulsified in the blender with 1/2 tbs lemon juice. 

Seasonings:

cumin

sea salt

pepper

Dice up your cooled cooked chicken, apricots, grapes (cut in half) and toss with the mayo and 1 tbs of fresh squeezed orange juice (save the rest of the orange to dress the greens with). season with 1/4 tbs cumin and salt and pepper to taste.

Plate the greens in a bowl and squeeze remaining orange juice on to the greens. Spoon the chicken mix on top of the greens and garnish with your choice of seed or basil. 

Voila! so delicious and healthy!