Chocolate Energy Bites

More energy bites! I just love having these in the fridge- available whenever I'm in a rush, hungry without any ready-to-eat food, or wanting a little dessert. I make them pretty small because they are high calorie from so many nuts and dried fruit. So easy to make so try them out this weekend!

Chocolate Energy Bites

dairy-free, grain-free, vegan, paleo

Recipe by Emily Frizell

¾         cup                  pitted dates or dried figs

½        cup                   roasted cashews

2          TBSP.              hazelnut pulp (from making hazelnut milk)

1          TBSP.              hemp hearts

1          TBSP.              coconut flour

1          TBSP.              plant-based protein powder

1          TBSP.              unsweetened 100% cocoa powder

¼         tsp.                  salt

1          TBSP.              cashew butter

1          TBSP.              homemade hazelnut milk

¼         tsp.                  vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until completely mixed together and sticky enough to form into a ball.  Shape into 12 small energy bites (about 1 1/2 TBSP. each).

Coconut Hemp Latte

If you've cut our dairy entirely or temporarily, milk and coffee creamer might be two items you are missing. If you've cut on processed sugars too, then its pretty much impossible to find a creamer for your coffee. I have made a couple different versions with different milks: coconut milk, almond milk, etc. Also different flavorings: hazelnut, coconut, cocoa, vanilla. This is my go-to hemp latte because it is easy and fast to make. You can make extra hemp mixture and use it in your coffee that next day too!

Don't forget to check out my Insta post on hazelnut milk here! 

Coconut Hemp Latte

Dairy-Free, Grain-Free, Vegan

Recipe by Emily Frizell, RDN

(Serves 2)

2          TBSP.              hemp seed hearts

3          ---                    pre-soaked dates

½        cup                  water (or coconut milk/coconut water)

1          TBSP.              coconut puree (jarred)

½        tsp.                  pure vanilla extract

1         cup                  hot espresso or coffee

In a blender puree hemp seeds through vanilla. Pour half a cup of espresso or strong coffee into 2 mugs and top with hemp mixture. Store extra hemp mixture in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Note:  If not using a powerful blender, may need to strain the hemp mixture to remove seed pulp. 

Almond & Oats Energy Bites

There are so many different ways to make the popular "energy bites" or "energy balls." So trust me, I will be making some new variations soon! They're easy to make- through everything in a food processor and pulse until it all come together, then roll into small spheres.

I eat these when I am in need of some energy (hence the name). When I don't other snacks around the house (because I eaten all my RxBars) these are an easy go-to. I don't eat them when I am trying to eat a low-calories snack. These things have plenty of calories, mostly from fat. But they also have some protein and fiber and are fairly low carb. So don't be afraid- just keep your portion small. There is plenty of energy in a small portion!

Almond & Oats Energy Bites
Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan
Recipe by Emily Frizell, R.D.

(makes 5 servings)

½        cup                  almond butter

1/3     cup                  old fashion oats

2          tsp.                  monk fruit sugar (or coconut sugar)

1          TBSP.              green banana or coconut flour

1          tsp.                  vanilla

1          TBSP.              water (or espresso, or other liquid)

Process ingredients through vanilla in food processor until smooth and forms a dough. Add a few drop of water at a time if dough is not wet enough. Scoop 1 TBSP. of mixture and roll into a ball. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. 

Dairy-Free Kale and Broccoli Caesar Salad with Turmeric Quinoa Patties

This recipe is a combination of different foods I like: kale salads, dairy-free creamy dressings, and crispy quinoa patties. It's easy to use these foods, change the flavorings, and create a whole new meal! This meal is vegan because I like to eat lots of plants foods. But your meal can be a little different from this one if you'd like. Add in a hard boiled egg or avocado, as I sometimes do.

Making quinoa patties without eggs does require some alterations from the typical recipes. Flaxseed "eggs" (ground flaxseed + water) works well as a binder, but they can still fall apart. That is why I bake the quinoa patties before searing. Baking first helps them hold together and makes them easier to flip in the pan!

The dressing is similar to the cashew Caesar in one of my new favorite vegetarian cookbooks, The First Mess. I changed it up a little because I like lots and lots of lemon! And adding ground cashews gives it the texture you get from adding grated parmesan to Caesar dressing. Don't skip the nutritional yeast. If you haven't used it before then you are in for a pleasant surprise. It's quite delicious with a savory, nutty, umami flavor. It is perfect in most dairy-free/cheese-free sauce and dishes. You can find it at Whole Foods, Wegman's, Mom's, Trader Joes, and probably some other stores too.

This recipe has three components: quinoa patties, salad, and dressing. The recipe looks long, but its all easy to do! The steps are written so that you can efficiently make this meal in 30 minutes or less. Hope you enjoy!

Kale and Broccoli Caesar Salad with Turmeric Quinoa Patties

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan

Recipe by Emily Frizell, R.D

(Serves 4)

Quinoa Patties

¾         cup                  dry quinoa

1          cup                  water or broth

4          TBSP.              ground flaxseed

6          TBSP.              hot water

½        tsp.                  dried thyme

½        tsp.                  salt

1/8     tsp.                  mustard powder

½        tsp.                  turmeric powder

¼         tsp.                  ginger powder

3 ½     TBSP.              arrowroot starch (sub cornstarch or GF flour if needed)

Salad

8          ---                    kale leaves, thinly sliced

1          TBSP.              lemon juice

2          cups                broccoli florets

½        cup                  sliced almonds (or other chopped nut)

Dressing

3          TBSP.              cashew butter

2          TBSP.              avocado oil

½        tsp.                  lemon zest

3          TBSP.              fresh lemon juice

1          TBSP.              water

3          ---                    garlic cloves, pushed through garlic press

2          tsp.                  Dijon mustard

1          tsp.                  capers + ½ tsp. liquid

1          TBSP.              nutritional yeast

¼         tsp.                  salt

¼         tsp.                  ground pepper

¼         cup                  roughly ground cashews (pulse in food processor or blender)

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and lightly oil. Set aside.

Combine quinoa and water (or broth) in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and let cool.

While quinoa is cooking, combine ground flaxseed and hot water in a medium bowl and let sit for 5 – 10 minutes. In a large bowl, toss kale with lemon juice and set aside.

Add cooked quinoa and remaining patty ingredients to the flaxseed mixture. Stir until combined. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes. While patties are in the freezer, finely chop broccoli and add to kale bowl.

Lightly oil your hands to prevent quinoa from sticking. Form quinoa into 8 patties (about 2 ½ - 3 inches diameter). Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. While patties are cooking, combine all ingredients for the dressing. Pour desired amount over kale and toss.

Heat a little oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. When hot, carefully place cooked patties in the skillet and sear until golden brown, about 2 – 3 minutes each side. Serve warm over kale broccoli Caesar salad.

Tortilla-less Egg "Burrito" with Kale and Avocado

Eggs are so versatile and so yummy.  I love them! This recipe uses a very thin cooked egg mixture in place of a tortilla shell for this super nutritious and delicious breakfast burrito.  If you are cooking a one-serving egg burrito, use a smaller nonstick pan (about 5 inches), and cut all the ingredients in half.

My blueberry kale smoothie was delicious with the savory egg breakfast.
Follow me on Instagram for the smoothie recipe : Healthy_Chef_EmilyFrizell

Tortilla-less Egg "Burrito" with Kale and Avocado

What you'll need:
- 2 tsp. olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped orange or yellow bell pepper
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced kale (stems removed)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup milk
- pinch each of paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper
- 3 slices avocado (optional)
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce (optional)


What to do:
1. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, and milk until frothy.  Set aside.

2. Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick pan over medium heat. Add onion and pepper; saute for about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent and peppers are tender.  Add kale and saute 2 more
minutes, until kale is wilted.  Remove veggies from pan to set aside.

3. Return pan to stove over low heat. Add remaining 1 tsp. olive oil and swirl to coat the pan.  Pour in egg mixture, but do not stir. Let mixture sit undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle seasonings on top, then cover with a lid for about 4 minutes, until the top of the egg mixture is set.  Use a rubber scraper to gently lift the out edges of the egg mixture; continue toward the center. Use your hands, a spatula, or a plate to flip the egg mixture to cook the top side for
1minute.

4. Remove egg mixture from pan and place on a plate. Fill egg 'burrito' with cooked vegetables, and avocado if desired. Roll the egg mixture and cut in half to serve.

Vegan Brownies and Vegan Frostings

After teaching a Light, Vegan Thanksgiving class at Salud, the Healthy Pantry, I was introduced to a wonderful new product: Soom Chocolate Sesame Butter. This chocolate sesame seed paste is a healthier lower-sugar, higher-fiber, higher-protein delicious alternative to Nutella-like spreads. It is full of heart healthy fats, antioxidants, and helps control post-meal blood sugars.

I quickly started taste-testing this chocolatey goodness with everything- apple slices, graham crackers, toast, plain oatmeal.  It is so versatile. I decided I wanted to try making a vegan dessert using Soom Chocolate Sesame Butter.  I thought I would start with my gluten-free polenta brownies for inspiration, but that is so far from vegan with 12 eggs per recipe.  So I tried replacing the eggs with a can of coconut milk (full fat). These brownies were rich and moist, but so very flat. So I added oat flour and baking soda to increase the volume. Perfecto.

Vegan Polenta Brownies

What you'll need:
-1 can (13.66oz) coconut milk
- 2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 TBSP agave syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup corn meal
- 1 cup oat flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup Soom chocolate sesame butter

What to do:
Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease a 9x9 baking pan. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl using a whisk or electric mixer until well combined. Pour mixture in greased baking pan.  Bake 26 - 30 minutes, until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.

For the Frostings

Then it was onto the super fun part: frostings. I made a brownie parfait using a light yogurt "frosting" flavored with coffee, so I thought I would try out a few more frostings- pumpkin mousse frosting, maple frosting, and many more.  You can use many ingredients to make vegan frostings, including coconut milk, soy yogurt, and vegan buttery spreads.

Before you start the frostings, there are some overnight steps you may need to take.  First, for the coconut frostings it is important to refrigerate a can of coconut milk overnight. This separates the water from the creamy white fatty part. When you open the can, pour out any water that is sitting on top (discard or reserve this for another use).  Scoop out the creamy white part. Whip this with a whisk or electric mixer. Use this whipped coconut milk when necessary in the recipes below.

When using yogurt-based frostings, it is important to strain the yogurt. Do this by wrapping it in a cheesecloth over a strainer overnight. This removes liquid and thickens the yogurt. Whipped coconut milk can be added to this to help thicken it more, but for some purposes (ie brownie parfait) you may want to leave out the coconut milk.

Vegan Frostings

*Note: because I made a variety of frostings, I made small amounts of each.  Each frosting spread over 3 or 4 brownies. If you are making only 1 frosting, multiple the ingredients by 3.

Chai Spiced Frosting
This is one of my favorites! I bought some chai spiced black tea that smelled amazing.  I made strong tea by heating 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk and steeping 1 tea bag for 5 minutes. Just a little whipped coconut milk to thicken it and powdered sugar to sweeten it and this is perfect. *Note: I had leftover strong tea, so I used that to flavor my plain oatmeal one morning. Yum Yum Yum!
Ingredients: 1/4 cup whipped coconut milk, 1 1/2 TSP strong chai tea, 1 1/2 TBSP powdered sugar

Chocolate Avocado
It may sound weird to be using Avocado, but this frosting is so rich, creamy, and chocolatey. It is also very simple.  Just add all the ingredients together in a food processor and blend until combined and creamy.
Ingredients: 1/2 and avocado, 1/2 TSP vanilla, 1 TBSP cocoa, 1 1/2 TSP agave, 2 TBSP powdered sugar, 1 TBSP Soom chocolate sesame butter

Zesty Orange Yogurt Frosting
Soy yogurts seem to have a different flavor and taste from brand to brand.  Try a couple and find one that you like best. I used plain yogurt so I could flavor and sweeten it to my liking. This is also a good way to flavor yogurt for a snack! I added a little whipped coconut milk to thicken it to make it the consistency of frosting.
Ingredients: 2 TBSP strained soy plain yogurt, 1 TBSP fresh orange juice, 1 tsp orange zest, 1 TBSP whipped coconut milk. Garnish with orange zest.

Salted Caramel Frosting
Of course this is going to be amazing. Salted caramel anything is delicious.  This vegan caramel is so delicious and buttery. To make the caramel, first melt butter in a small saucepan.  Add brown sugar and almond milk and simmer for about 3 minutes, until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat. Once caramel has cooled, add 1 1/2 TBSP caramel to the remaining ingredients.  Use remaining caramel for garnish.
Ingredients: 2 TBSP buttery spread (no trans-fat spread such as Nature Balance Vegan Buttery Spread), 2 TBSP brown sugar, 1 1/2 TBSP unsweetened almond milk, 2 TBSP whipped coconut milk, 1 TBSP powdered sugar. Garnish with extra caramel sauce.

Sweet Potato, Arugula, and Goat Cheese Mini Frittata

I am posting this recipe by popular request.  I made this at the farmer's market, for Easter brunch, and for my class at Culinaria Cooking School.  Everyone has loved it.  It is one of my favorite frittatas! Sweet potato, peppery arugula, and creamy goat cheese are fabulous together.

To make this, you need to cut the sweet potato very very thin.  I used a mandoline, but you can also use a sharp knife to do this.  It is important to par-cook the potato slices first in the oven.  To create the egg mixture, you want to use a hand blender or food processor to thoroughly mix together the egg, goat cheese, and milk.  This will also chop up the red onion and arugula, which creates a good look.  It is very important to butter and flour the muffin pan.  To do this, just lightly coat each muffin slot with butter, then sprinkle flour around the bottom and sides.  Shake out the extra flour.

Sweet Potato, Arugula, and Goat Cheese Mini Frittata

Recipe Makes 12 - 14 Mini Frittatas

What you'll need:

-       1 tbsp olive oil, divided

-       1 sweet potato, peeled, thinly sliced (long, skinny potato is best)

-       ½ cup diced red onion

-       2 cups chopped arugula

-       5 eggs

-       1/3 cup milk

-       4 oz goat cheese

-       1 tsp salt

-       ½ tsp ground pepper

-       1 tsp dried sage

-    1/4 tsp mustard powder

-    1/8 tsp cayenne

-       ¼ cup chopped chives

-    ¼ cup crumbled cooked bacon (optional)

What to do:

1.     Preheat oven to 374*F.  On a baking sheet, toss potato slices with 1/2 tbsp olive oil.  Bake 8 minutes, until soft but stays intact when picked up. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  In a skillet, heat remaining 1/2 tbsp olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.  Add arugula and cook 1 minute. Remove and set aside to let cool.

2.     In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and goat cheese until smooth.  Add salt, pepper, sage, mustard powder, cayenne, and the cooked onion and arugula.  If available, use a food processor or hand blender to blend everything together; arugula should be blended into small pieces, not pureed.

3.     Prepare a muffin pan with butter and flour (see note above). Spread cooked potatoes slices around the bottom of each muffin slot (should have enough to fill 12 - 14). Some larger slices may need to be cut in half.  Create layer about 1/4- to 1/3-inch high. Add about 2 tbsp egg mixture; you can fill each up almost to the top. Sprinkle each with chives and bacon (if using). Bake in oven for 12 minutes.  Then turn oven to 'Broil' setting; broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until tops are starting to brown.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly.  Use a small rubber scraper to remove eggs.