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Stuffed Baked Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are one of my all time favorite foods. Top with toasted buckwheat groats, sauteed greens and drizzled with gourmet dark raspberry vinegar and garlic infused olive oil and I’m in heaven.

This is really easy to make and super filling and satisfying. Isn’t this a gorgeous work of art and the best because you get to eat it too!

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Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cups {dairy free}

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Anyone who knows me is aware of my love for chocolate, but I only go for dark chocolate since I don’t eat dairy (hello food allergies). Make these babies yourself and you’ll never need to buy chocolate again! Adjust the sweetness to your taste buds by adding more honey, if desired. Slippery elm tea powder is used with honey and doTERRA peppermint essential oils (I’m now a Wellness Advocate for doTERRA, e-mail me for details and I’ll tell  you why I have fallen in love with them!) to make a delicious filling that is also good for your belly. Read more

Homemade Grillable Veggie Burger {vegan, gluten free}

Grilling season is here! Save money and eat lighter with homemade black bean burgers. Ground flax and bread crumbs are used to bind the burgers. Shredded carrots sneak in more veggies! Serve over a bed of shredded lettuce and top with avocado slices (my favorite burger topping) or add classic mustard and ketchup.

If you prefer to make your own black beans instead of using the prepared canned recipe, I have included my simple crockpot method. This makes a lot of beans for a huge cost savings! These burgers are good for your wallet and your belly Smile

This recipe is featured on Vitacost.com, click the link to check it out:

http://blog.vitacost.com/food-and-drink/grillable-gluten-free-black-bean-burgers.html

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Homemade Grillable Veggie Burger {vegan, gluten free}

Yield: 4 Burgers

Calories per serving: 200

Fat per serving: 1

Ingredients

    Ingredients for homemade crockpot black beans:
  • 2 cups dried black beans if soaking and cooking (see crockpot method below)
  • 1 tsp each cumin and turmeric
  • stir in 1 tsp. sea salt after black beans are done cooking
  • Ingredients for black bean burgers:
  • 3 cups prepared black beans (divided)
  • 1 T. ground flaxseed + 3 T. water (mix together and set aside until it gels)
  • 1 carrot, grated (about ½ cup)
  • 1/2 cup brown rice bread crumbs
  • 1/4 t. each cumin, turmeric, oregano, garlic powder (or favorite spices)
  • 1/2 t. sea salt
  • Burger fixings:
  • Shredded lettuce
  • 1 Avocado sliced
  • Ketchup + Mustard

Instructions

    Method to make crockpot black beans:
  1. Using your crockpot ceramic container, add 2 cups dried black beans and fill with water so beans are covered, plus an extra inch or 2.
  2. Allow to soak overnight or at least 8 hours.
  3. Drain and rinse beans really well, remove any damaged beans or excess skin floating in the water.
  4. Pour beans into crockpot ceramic. Add enough water to cover beans, then add another inch of water over the beans.
  5. Add 1 teaspoon dried cumin and turmeric powder.
  6. Cover and set crockpot to cook on Low setting for 6-8 hours, until beans are fully cooked and softened to your liking.
  7. Drain excess water, then stir in 1 tsp. sea salt.
  8. Proceed with recipe below to make fabulous black bean burgers! You will have leftover beans to make extra burgers or for another recipe.
  9. Method to make burgers:
  10. Drain and rinse black beans, set aside in a bowl.
  11. Add to a food processor, 2 cups black beans along with brown rice bread crumbs, shredded carrots. Pulse until mostly smooth with some chunks.
  12. Add flaxmeal and spices, pulse to combine.
  13. Remove bean mixture from food processor and combine with remaining 1 cup of whole black beans. Mix with your hands in a large bowl or on a large cutting board.
  14. Divide into 4 portions and form 4 burgers of equal size so they cook at the same rate.
  15. Grill (place a sheet of foil underneath burgers) on medium-low heat about 8-10 minutes, these cook at a gentle heat, unlike meat burgers.
  16. Black bean burgers with become crisp on the outside and stay soft on the inside.
  17. Serve over a bed of shredded lettuce and top with sliced avocado and your favorite burger toppings.
  18. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutritionals: (1 burger) 200 calories, 1g Fat, 35 carbs, 11g Fiber, 1g Sugar, 12g Protein

https://www.totalhealthcounseling.com/2014/homemade-grillable-veggie-burger-vegan-gluten-free/

 

Chocolate Buckwheat Granola {gluten free}

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Berries are in season right now so what better way to enjoy the season’s best than with some crunchy homemade granola!

Granola can be a crunchy and satisfying breakfast with fruit or afternoon snack. Most packages granolas a full of sugar and additives your body would prefer to skip. Buckwheat is used as a crunchier alternative to oats. Toasted with pumpkin seeds and flax in this recipe then coated in a simple chocolate glaze, divine!

Chocolate Buckwheat Granola {gluten free}

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole hulled buckwheat
  • 2 T. ground flaxseed
  • ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • Chocolate glaze:
  • 1 T. cacao powder
  • 1 T. grapeseed oil
  • 1 T. raw honey
  • Pinch of pink salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Grease an 8x8 glass baking pan, set aside.
  3. In a bowl, combine buckwheat, ground flaxseed, and raw pumpkin seeds.
  4. In a separate smaller bowl, combine cacao powder, raw honey, oil, and pinch of salt. Mix together until thoroughly blended.
  5. Pour chocolate mixture over buckwheat and seeds in medium bowl. Stir to coat evenly.
  6. Pour granola into baking pan, spread evenly then back 25 minutes, stir halfway through baking time.
  7. Remove from oven when pumpkin seeds are toasted.
  8. Allow to cool then store in glassware in fridge.
https://www.totalhealthcounseling.com/2014/chocolate-buckwheat-granola-gluten-free/

See my recipe featured on Vitacost:

http://blog.vitacost.com/recipes-2/non-gmo-recipe-chocolate-glazed-buckwheat-granola.html

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Serve up in a fancy parfait glass and enjoy!

New From Vitacost.com: SUPER CACAO – Love at First Bite

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Anyone who knows me knows that I <3 chocolate in a big way! I eat it a couple of times a week, but not just any chocolate will do. I love dark chocolate, milk chocolate doesn’t sit well with my body. Dark chocolate that’s dairy free and 66% or higher. I even love the 90% dark chocolate that’s pretty bitter.

Disclosure of material connection: Vitacost provided me with free samples of these products to review. All opinions expressed here are completely my own.

Vitacost recently introduced their own line of chocolate bars, called Super Cacao, and they set the bar pretty high. These bars start with ultra high quality cacao “handcrafted heirloom Ecuadorian cacao, blended with Madagascar vanilla”, but they don’t stop there. They infuse the bar with botanicals, probiotics, and antioxidants to make it bursting with good for you ingredients. So yes calling it super is pretty accurate!

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I was sent the Mandarin Orange and Lemon Ginger, they have a third variety of Coconut. Both I really loved, the Mandarin Orange reminded me of the chocolate oranges I used to get at Christmas in my stocking as a kid. Vitacost’s bar is much higher quality in flavor and ingredients by leaps and bounds. The Lemon Ginger was surprisingly good as I’ve never tasted lemon in chocolate. I’ve had ginger in chocolate before and this was a pleasant twist with the lemon. Both bars were Love At First Bite, I can’t pick a favorite they are both divinely delicious!

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Thank you Vitacost for letting me try these amazing bars! They will be on my next Vitacost order for sure Smile

So for a special treat, check them out here:

http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-super-cacao-mandarin-orange-with-welltrim-ig-66-dark-cacao-1-75-oz-4?csrc=Blogger:TotalHealthCounseling

 

Check out the Vitacost official video:

http://youtu.be/Gu0mGEs46_U