Vegetarian Recipe: Perfect Falafel

One middle-eastern cuisine many of us have probably encountered along the line is falafel. They're deep-fried patties of ground chickpeas or fava beans, and they make a perfect little appetizer, or even a main ingredient in a homemade gyro. The mood struck recently, and we couldn't help making our own.

For our recipe, we used a mixture of chickpeas and fava beans to get the perfect texture and base flavor. We then seasoned them with coriander, cumin, cayenne, and a few additional herbs. We didn't want to use up too much oil in deep-frying, so instead we relied on pan-frying our fritters to get the perfect crunch without them becoming too greasy. Keep reading below for our favorite recipe...

Falafel

(makes 12 pitas)

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 3/4 cup dried split fava beans
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small red onion, quartered
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste
• grapeseed oil for frying

Directions

1. Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with water by 4". Soak for 24 hours, checking occasionally to make sure you don't need to add more water to keep the beans covered.
2. Drain the beans and transfer to a food processor with all of the remaining ingredients except the oil. Pulse until minced but not pureed. Add water tablespoon by tablespoon if necessary to make sure the machine is able to work. You want to mixture is as dry as possible, though. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to taste. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
3. Form the mixture into balls a little smaller than golf balls and flatten just a little. In a nonstick pan, heat 1/4" grapeseed oil on medium high heat until it sizzles when  a small piece of falafel is added. Turn the heat to medium.
4. Add just one falafel to begin with and fry until all sides are a deep golden-brown (about 6 to 7 minutes). If it browns too quickly, turn the heat down a little.  If the falafel sticks to the pan, dredge the falafel in a little flour. From there, cook the remaining falafel in the oil. Serve with pita bread and tahini sauce.
5. Enjoy!

http://12tomatoes.com/2014/03/vegetarian-recipe-perfect-falafel.html?ref=tag_link

chocolate avocado pudding. yep, it’s a thing.

When life hands you avocados… make pudding?

Apparently so.

Though I have to admit that my first choice would be guacamole. However, sometimes life hands you avocados when you already have a large vat of guacamole in your fridge because life is so, so good. In that case, yes… make pudding. After you’ve OD-ed on your fair share of avocado toast.

Obviously.

You may remember last year that I made chocolate avocado pudding and then proceeded to eat it like… every single day of my life. My go-to recipes came from a mesh of Lisa and Jessica’s, then sort of warped into this version that I perfected to my taste buds and have been making ever since. Yeah. Melted chocolate is where it’s at. Very true story: I ate this practically every afternoon for a little snack before yoga for maybe two months? Three months? It’s full of antioxidants! It was the best thing ever. It was also the hugest thing ever, because I get bored super easily. Especially with my food. I haven’t even eaten dinner tonight yet and I’m already bored with it.

Not even joking.

The other thing is that I really always want to eat this for dessert but I have an intense, passionate abhorrence for cleaning my food processor. I loathe it more than I loathe cleaning normal things which is a lot. Especially when the sun goes down and I’m exhausted and watching new-but-terrible-but-still-worth-it 90210 or something. The sun going down is pretty much my gauge for productivity so yeah… daylight savings time can happen right now please.

Anyway, that’s how I satisfying my obsession. Chocolate avocado pudding for an afternoon snack. I think I’m bringing it back.

If you’re an avocado hater, well… I’m not going to tell you that you can’t taste the avocado at all. I mean, sometimes you can’t whatsoever. I believe that it depends on your crazy mental state and the ripeness of your fruit, which will differ each time but can be somewhat managed with sweetener and cocoa or chocolate. I use honey because I can’t get on the agave train and overall, I just find honey to be a bit more versatile for my everyday kitchen. I put it on Greek yogurt and mix it with peanut butter and I’d put it in tea if I drank it, which I never will because that stuff tastes like dirty water. Oh yes it does.

Ack.

If you’re an avocado lover, then you’ll probably adore this pudding, will rarely be able to taste the avocado and will soon become addicted to this little treat that is totally worth dragging out your food processor and cleaning that giant hunk of junk. Ugh. So annoying. Can’t someone create a self-cleaning processor? I think it would make millions.

I think the moral of the story is that everything (especially Monday) is better with chocolate.

PRINT

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

YIELD: SERVES 2-4

 

TOTAL TIME: 10 MINUTES

ingredients:

4 ripe avocados
1/4 cup light coconut milk
4 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
3 tablespoons honey
2 ounces of dark chocolate (72% or higher), melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

for topping: whipped cream, coconut whipped cream, sprinkles, cocoa nibs

directions:

Remove avocados from the skin (and pit) and place in a food processor. Blend until combined and creamy. Add in all remaining ingredients, blending until pureed, scraping down the sides when needed to combine. Taste and season/sweetened additionally if desired. Blend for a good 1-2 minutes until completely creamy, then serve with desired toppings.

Note: I have kept this in the fridge for about 24 hours successfully, just make sure to immediately place it in a seal tight container. If you would like a smaller serving, I'd suggest cutting the recipe in half.

And sprinkles.

COCONUT LEMON MOUSSE (PALEO, RAW & VEGAN)

While it’s already known that coconut milk can do no wrong, as demonstrated by this tomato curry with creamy coconut cauliflower rice, we can never get enough of this magic the liquid that comes from the grated meat of a coconut.
And then there’s coconut cream, which is the thick non-liquid part that separates and rises to the top of the coconut milk when is refrigerated and allowed to set.
Coconut cream is very similar to coconut milk but is thicker because - of course - it contains less water.
Now here’s the thing about coconut cream, you can make luscious whipped cream from it.
I know, BOOM!


Coconut cream whips up into thick yet airy whipped cream, a bazillion times better than Cool Whip.
But then again Cool Whip is gross; almost anything is better than Cool Whip.
Still a fan of Cool Whip? Think again!
Blogger Jonathan Fields did a little experiment to teach his daughter a lesson on why not to eat Cool Whip. Read up on his horrifying 12-day Cool Whip.
I know, ewww...


Back to whipped coconut cream; whenever you want something creamy and non-dairy to go with your dessert, it’s a fantastic option.
It does taste strongly of coconut, however, as you might expect.
So if you do not like the flavor of coconut, this is not for you.
But for all you coconut lovers out there, I bring you this I-cannot-find-the-proper-words-to-define-it Coconut Lemon Mousse.
The recipe features whipped coconut cream, lemon zest, vanilla and a sweetener of your choice.
I’ll let you contemplate that for a moment. Take your time.

Coconut Lemon Mousse                                                                                        Print this recipe! 
Inspired by GI365

For the coconut cream, refrigerate the cans of coconut milk overnight, (several days if possible) then scoop out the cream that rises to the top and reserve the liquid for other uses.

Ingredients 
Serves 4

Ingredients

Coconut cream scraped from the top of 2 (13.5 oz) chilled cans of full fat coconut milk (use BPA-free coconut milk)
2 tablespoons raw coconut palm sugar (or other sweetener of your choice)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
pinch of salt

Directions

In a small bowl combine coconut sugar with the lemon zest, rubbing the mixture between your fingers to help infuse the sugar with the lemon flavor.
In a large bowl of a heavy-duty mixer or with an electric hand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment, beat/whip coconut cream and salt, starting on low, increasing incrementally to medium speed until soft peaks become visible, about 2 minutes.
Add the sugar mixture and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is smooth and the sugar is no longer visible.
Divide the mixture evenly among ramekins and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 316 calories, 30 grams of fat, 9 grams of carbs and 3 grams of protein.

Raw Moringa Kiwi Vegan Cheesecake

Raw Moringa KIwi Cheese Cake

Raw Moringa Kiwi Cheesecake

• YIELD: 8' spring form mould (12 Servings)
• PREP: 50 mins

Is the first time try to use fresh Moringa leave to make a raw cheese cake ,the natural green cheesecake taste was just fantastic. !! Moringa contain a large amount of natural chlorophyll. Check out more about the goodness of Morniga ♥

Ingredients

• 1 cup Raw Almond soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup Walnuts soaked
• 1 tbsp Golden flax seeds
• 1/2 cup Toasted grated coconuts 
• 10-12 Medjool Dates pitted
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
•  Moringa Kiwi Chesses Cream:
• 1 1/2 cup Raw cashew soaked overnight
• 2 whole Lemon juice and some rinds
• 1 1/2 cup Fresh moringa leaves
• 4 Kiwi fruits peeled
• 1/4 cup Fresh coconut meat
• 3 tbsp Organic agave nectar to your sweetness
• 2 tbsp 100% Pure coconut oil
•  Pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 cup Coconut water for creamy consistency
• some Fresh granted coconut for topping

Instructions

1. Dehydrated grated coconuts or you can dry fry in non stick pan until turn brown & fragrant.
2. Dehydrator almonds and walnuts . If you don’t have a dehydrator it can be done using the warm setting on your oven, though highly energy inefficient until crunchy.
3. Place the dates and almonds ,walnuts, flax seeds in the food processor and process until it as format into chunks, dates are well incorporated and the mixture begins to clump together, avoid this over process !
4. After processed mixed the toasted grated coconuts, so it’s even sticks all together in the bottom of the cake mold and press until gets firm , set aside or refrigerated.
5. For Raw Moringa kiwi cheese cream. Place all cream ingredient in vita-mix container blend until a thick nice smooth creamy texture.
6. Coconut water is needed to give the consistency of this cheese cream.
7. Pour the cream on top of the almonds crust . 
8. Keep in the freezer for few hours until it’s set or keep over night.
9. You need a bit of time for making this cheese cake , take it out of the freezer. Leave the cheese cake down the refrigerator for few hour before serving.
10. Garnish with some fresh grated coconut or dehydrated grated coconuts on top, Serve cold. ENJOY The Miracle Raw Moringa Kiwi cheese cake ♥ 

http://veganlogy.com/2013/11/22/raw-moringa-kiwi-cheesecake/

Avocado Pasta

The easiest, most unbelievably creamy avocado pasta that everyone will love. And it’ll be on your dinner table in just 20 min!

Avocados. I love them. I could eat them by itself with a little bit of sea salt. I could eat them mashed up in guacamole with an entire bag of chips.

And now, I can eat them in the most glorious, most creamy pasta I’ve ever had. And the best part about this is that there’s no cream or butter in this. All you need is simple, fresh ingredients. That’s it.

So how is this so creamy? Well, all you need are a couple of ripe avocados, fresh basil leaves, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. From there, you can just throw it all into a food processor and give it a whirl! Done and done.

Toss it with your favorite pasta noodles – spaghetti, rotini, macaroni, etc. – along with some fresh veggies. You can really use any veggies you’d like but I loved the sweet corn kernels and crisp cherry tomatoes.

Plus, it’ll be on your dinner table in 20 min from start to finish. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

AVOCADO PASTA

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time10 minutes

Total Time20 minutes

Yield4 servings

The easiest, most unbelievably creamy avocado pasta that everyone will love. And it'll be on your dinner table in just 20 min!

INGREDIENTS

• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup canned corn kernels, drained and rinsed

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
• To make the avocado sauce, combine avocados, basil, garlic and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine pasta, avocado sauce, cherry tomatoes and corn.
• Serve immediately.

NOTES

Adapted from Comfort of Cooking

http://damndelicious.net/2014/06/20/avocado-pasta/

Blueberry Bliss Bars (No Baking and Only 4 Ingredients!)

I don’t know if you noticed, but I love recipes that use only a few ingredients.  These Blueberry Bliss Bars are just that.  All you need is 4 simple ingredients to make these blueberry bliss bars!  This no bake recipe is perfect for summer.  I know I don’t want to spend time in my kitchen with the oven on.  It’s hot down here in Dallas!

These blueberry bliss bars are vegan, gluten free and paleo.  This was my first time using coconut cream and I have to say that it was pretty much exactly like coconut butter.  The only difference I noticed, was that coconut cream seemed to soften faster out of the fridge.  Another great thing you could do with these no bake bars is drizzle a little of my 3 ingredient chocolate over the top.  Yum!  If you do that, then you will need to keep the bars in the freezer.

Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutesTotal
Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 18 small squares

Ingredients

• 2 cups creamed coconut (you can probably also use coconut butter)
• 2 cups fresh organic blueberries (frozen, thawed might work too)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp ground vanilla beans

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor until the mixture is smooth.
• Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper, leaving enough room for some paper to stick out the sides.
• Dump the mixture into the pan and spread it out evenly. The mixture is very thick and you may need to wet a spatula to help spread it evenly.
• Once the mixture is in the pan. Gently press down using the extra sides of parchment paper.
• Stick the pan in the fridge to firm up. This should only take about 15-20 minutes.
• Once the mixture is firm, lift the whole thing out by the edges of parchment paper.
• I used a pizza cutter to cut mine into squares.

Please store these bars in the fridge. I keep mine in an airtight container with a piece of parchment between each bar. They should last at least a week in the fridge and you can also freeze them for longer storage. Enjoy!

http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/13381-blueberry-bliss-bars.html

Avocado Pasta

 

The easiest, most unbelievably creamy avocado pasta that everyone will love. And it’ll be on your dinner table in just 20 min!

 

Avocados. I love them. I could eat them by itself with a little bit of sea salt. I could eat them mashed up in guacamole with an entire bag of chips.

And now, I can eat them in the most glorious, most creamy pasta I’ve ever had. And the best part about this is that there’s no cream or butter in this. All you need is simple, fresh ingredients. That’s it.

So how is this so creamy? Well, all you need are a couple of ripe avocados, fresh basil leaves, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. From there, you can just throw it all into a food processor and give it a whirl! Done and done.

Toss it with your favorite pasta noodles – spaghetti, rotini, macaroni, etc. – along with some fresh veggies. You can really use any veggies you’d like but I loved the sweet corn kernels and crisp cherry tomatoes.

Plus, it’ll be on your dinner table in 20 min from start to finish. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Avocado Pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Yield 4 servings

The easiest, most unbelievably creamy avocado pasta that everyone will love. And it'll be on your dinner table in just 20 min!

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup canned corn kernels, drained and rinsed

Instructions

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
• To make the avocado sauce, combine avocados, basil, garlic and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine pasta, avocado sauce, cherry tomatoes and corn.
• Serve immediately.

Notes 

Why It’s A Smart Choice

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

Servings Per Container 4

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Amount Per Serving

Calories 670.7 Calories from Fat 307.8

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 34.2g 53%

Saturated Fat 4.9g 25%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 106.2mg 4%

Total Carbohydrate 80.7g 27%

Dietary Fiber 10.5g 42%

Sugars 5.2g

Protein 14.3g 29%

---

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Using avocados instead of cream is a great way to get rid of saturated fats in favor of mono-unsaturated fats, which can have a positive effect on blood cholesterol. Additionally, this is a great recipe to serve to guests or take to a potluck since it fits into so many different diet needs: vegan, milk-free, or egg-free!

Nutritional information provided by Jessica Penner, RD at Smart Nutrition.

http://damndelicious.net/2014/06/20/avocado-pasta/

10 Fun Ways To Eat Chia Seeds!

BY DANA JAMES

 Chia seeds are a powerhouse of nutrients. They're loaded with protein, Omega 3s, and fiber. Plus they're packed with calcium, magnesium and manganese. They are also gluten-free!

Here are 10 fun ways to eat chia seeds:

1. Chia pudding with kiwi fruit and pomegranate seeds

• Place 3 tablespoons of chia seed in a mason jar and pour over 12 ounces of almond milk.
• Shake the jar until the chia seeds are fully immersed in the liquid. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
• Once seeds have swelled to a tapioca consistency, stir in 1 tsp of coconut sugar.
• Pour into a serving bowl and top with chopped kiwi fruit and pomegranate seeds.

2. Raspberry-coconut chia pops

• Place 3 tablespoons of chia seed in a mason jar and pour over 12 ounces of coconut milk (from a can).
• Shake the jar until the chia seeds are fully immersed in the liquid. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar and 3/4 cup of raspberries. Stir well.
• Let chia pudding set for 2 hours then pour into ice-pop molds and freeze overnight.

3. Chocolate-chia mousse

• Pour 1 can of coconut cream into a blender, add 1/4 cup of chia seeds, 1/4 cup of maple syrup and 1/2 cup of cacao powder.
• Let it sit it blender for 10 minutes to allow chia seed to swell to 10 times their size.
• Once it has formed a tapioca consistency, puree it for 30 seconds or until smooth.
• Pour into serving cups and let it set for 4 hours.
• Top with fresh cherries.

4. Raspberry lemonade chia drink

Add the following to a pitcher:

• 2 cups of coconut water
• Juice 1/2 lemon
• 3/4 cup of blended raspberries
• 2 teaspoons of coconut sugar
• 3 tablespoons of chia seed

Let it sit for 30 minutes until it has formed a gel-like consistency. Enjoy the drink!

5. Raw cherry and chia bars

In a food processor, add the following:

• 1 cup of raw pecans
• 1/2 cup of dried cherries
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 1/3 cup of almond butter
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1/4 cup of shredded coconut

Grind until a paste is formed, about 2 minutes. Add mixture to a baking try and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Slice into bars and serve.

6. Seeded granola with dried apricots

In a food processor, add the following:

• 1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup of raw sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds

Pulse until seeds are in a chunky texture. Then add the following ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup and salt.

Pulse for another 20 seconds. Spread mixture out on to a baking dish.

Add to pre-heated oven at 300F for about 20 minutes, stirring half-way through to avoid burning. You could also use a dehydrator set to 118F for 4 to 5 hours. Allow the toasted granola to cool completely, then stir in the chopped dried apricots and store in an airtight container. Serve with almond milk.

7. Lemon and mango chia parfait

• Place 3 tablespoons of ground white chia seed in a mason jar and pour over a can of coconut milk.
• Add a pinch of vanilla bean, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of maple syrup.
• Let it sit for 30 minutes or overnight until thick.
• Pour into serving glasses then top with freshly sliced mango.

8. Avocado on toast with chia seed.

Top gluten-free toast with avocado dusted in chia seeds, lemon zest, chili flakes and sea salt.

9. Cacao, chia cherry ice-cream

Add the following to a blender:

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1.5 cans of coconut cream
• 2 tablespoons of cacao powder
• 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ounce melted unsweetened chocolate
• 4 pitted dates

Let it sit for 15 minutes then blend for 60 seconds or until smooth. The mixture should be thick and creamy. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturers instructions. Freeze until firm enough to scoop.

10. Matcha chia smoothie

• Blend 12 ounces of almond milk with 1 teaspoon of matcha green tea powder, 2 pitted dates, 2 cardamon pods and a pinch of vanilla bean for 30 seconds.
• Pour into a large mason jar.
• Add 1 tablespoon of chia seed and shake it well.
• Let it sit for at least 15 minutes until chia seeds starts to swell. Serve over ice.
• http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-15072/10-fun-ways-to-eat-chia-seeds.html