Tag Archives: vitamix

Mayan Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

I had never made Chia Pudding. So when I was considering the flavor that I wanted to make – I had a flashback to one of the best coffees that I have ever had at Coffee & Art in San Diego; it was called a Mayan Mocha. This special coffee inspired this dish, and I wish that this chia seed pudding could bring the beach and perfect weather with it. Anyway, you will savor the flavors of cacao, agave, cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut cream in this pudding – it’s just a special combination.Chia Seed Pudding

  • Servings: 3
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This Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding is a healthy, easy, delicious, gluten-free, and vegan dessert or breakfast.


Credit: myrealdish.com

Ingredients

  • 1 can or 2 cups of full fat coconut milk (I used Thai Kitchen)
  • 1/2 cup chia seeds
  • 1/4 cacao powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup Blue Agave Syrup 
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder


Directions

  1. Put all ingredients into your Vitamix or blender in order to make it smooth.
  2. Stir in your chia seeds.
  3. Put in a container and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.
  4. Optional: top with a coconut whipped topping (you can find my recipe here) and drizzle with the Best Vegan Chocolate Sauce.
  5. Makes a great breakfast or dessert.


Xylitol Powdered Sugar

Although I’ve substituted cane sugar out of my diet as much as possible in my baking, I still have been using traditional powdered sugar (until today). I love coconut cream whipped with powdered sugar. I’ve given up dairy, but I won’t give up whipped cream!

I used my Vitamix to make xyilitol Powdered Sugar, and it worked! I’m going to use it to make Chocolate Wafer Cookies & Ice Box Cake and Banana Chocolate Boston Cream Cake (Vegan and Gluten Free) too.

What is xylitol? It’s sugar derived from a birch tree. I’ve talked about its benefits in this post about Vegan Broccoli Carrot Slaw With Cranberry Dressing. It’s ideal for low carb & sugar controlled diets. I bought the XyloBurst Brand at swansonvitamins.com.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1½ cups xylitol (you can also use coconut sugar too!)
  • 1 Tbsp Arrowroot (to make it more like processed cane sugar).

FYI – Xylitol is very sweet, you don’t have to use as much as regular powdered sugar to get the sweetness you desire; you will need to play around with it while baking.

Directions:

  • Put the xylitol and arrowroot in the Vitamix, and blend for 30 seconds, until it’s blended to an even consistency.
  • Store in a plastic bag or glass container.new xylitol cover.jpgIMG_1455.JPG

 

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Source: Google is a powerful thing – I followed this recipe from the Whole New Mom, and didn’t re-invent the wheel.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse (Vegan, Gluten-free, & Paleo option)

Chocolate Avocado Mousse (Vegan, Gluten-free, & Paleo option)

It is difficult to make a vegan pudding that doesn’t taste weird. After an unfortunate incident with a Hershey’s pudding mix, it is not gluten-free – look out for a label that says modified food starch, I went to the Enjoy Life website in order to find an allergy friendly recipe to make. They have awesome recipes! I made it my own, by changing it slightly. This is my go-to recipe when I want a pudding or mousse, or use my Easy Chocolate Crumb Crust recipe to make a chocolate pie or even a chocolate lasagna.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life Foods Mini Chips for vegan or  Lily’s Baking Chips to make them Paleo) 
  • 4 very ripe large (8 ounce) avocados, peeled and pitted
  • 3/4 cup agave
  • 1/2 cup cacao powder
  • 1/3 cup almond milk (or non-dairy milk)
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon Redmond Real Salt

Directions:

  1. Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. You can also put the bowl over a pan of boiling water and stir to melt or use a double boiler.
  2. Peel and pit your avocados, and place them in your Vitamix or food processor.IMG_1258.jpg
  3. Add the melted chips, avocados, agave, cacao powder, non-dairy milk, vanilla, and salt.
  4. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.IMG_1259.JPG
  5. Spoon into container and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (it can be prepared a day in advance).
  6. Garnish with fresh raspberries or strawberries and serve, use the perfect chocolate pie crust and make a chocolate mousse pie with the chocolate crumb crust, or save for to make the Chocolate Lasagna!
  7. I served it in small rice bowls that I got from Pier One Imports. chocolate mousse cover.jpg

 

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Mashed Garlic Roasted Cauliflower (Vegan & Paleo)

I’m on a cauliflower kick. Last night, I made Baked Cauliflower and Cauliflower Pizza. Well, I had this idea for a cabbage dish tonight, but my husband picked up an extra cauliflower instead of cabbage at the store; I had to change my plans. I wanted to  make a Shepard’s pie, but I only had three potatoes. I did have cauliflower. Here’s how creations are born – lack of ingredients!

I’ve never tried mashed cauliflower before, but I hear everyone talking about it. The simple baked cauliflower is so delicious, so I figured that it would be as equally delicious mashed. And, I was right. It does have a hummus-ish taste. I’m obsessed! Now, whether or not it’s good on my Shepard’s Pie is another question. I shall report back.

Ingredients

  • Baked Cauliflower 
  • 1 cup vegetable stock (I used Culinary Treasures Organic Vegetable Broth from Costco. It has awesome flavor!)

Directions:

  • Follow directions for the Baked Cauliflower img_8984
  • Once completed, put baked cauliflower in the Vitamix or high-powered blender along with the remaining olive oil, garlic, and onion / shallots from the cookie sheet. IMG_1083 updated.jpg
  • Add 1 cup vegetable stock.IMG_1081.JPG
  • If cooking in the Vitamix, set on high power. Start on low speed and turn up to high.
  • Once blended, pour in a bowl and devour! Or, be like me and attempt a Shepard’s Pie!IMG_1084 mashed caulilfower.jpg

 

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Cashew Mozzarella Cheese

I tried Daiya cheese when I first found out that I had a dairy sensitivity, but it has a very strong flavor that I didn’t like. I was sad that I would never have a tasty mac n’ cheese or a lasagna again. I had never heard of cashew cheese, until I went to this brick stove vegetarian pizza place in St. Louis called Pizzoli’s; the pizza was amazing, and you would have never known that the cheese was vegan! It tricked my husband, and my kids said it was their favorite pizza.

Then, I started thinking about making my own cashew cheese. I saw Sunwarrior post a DIY cashew mozzarella cheese on Facebook, but I adapted it by adding Redmond Real Salt, and garlic; I wanted a little more flavor.

Let’s talk salt for a minute. People think that salt is bad for them and it is! “Regular table salts have been heat processed and stripped of their natural trace minerals.” However, I specifically use Redmond Real Salt, because it is unrefined and full of  60+ natural minerals. You can read about it on their website: http://www.realsalt.com. Our bodies need these minerals, and it’s especially beneficial for people like me with thyroid issues to take a 1/2 – 1 teaspoon in warm water a day. Ditch your table salt and buy Real Salt! Back to cheese…

Here are the things that I learned while making this cheese:

  1. Tapioca starch is the same as tapioca flour. I stood in the aisle searching for a while until I realized that I wasn’t reading the fine print on the bag. #mombrain
  2. Nutritional yeast is not the same as active yeast or baking yeast. It is actually a protein that give the cheese a nice flavor too! It’s not located near the normal spices and yeast in the baking aisle. I found it in the bulk section at Fresh Thyme. 
  3. You have to soak your cashews. It makes them soft, and also helps them to release enzymes so that they are easier to digest. Let’s be honest, many of us are giving up dairy because of the gas and other stomach issues it causes, and we don’t need it from nuts too! You want to soak them at least 4 hours. I soaked them for 11 hours. 
  4. You can add basil for added flavor, and it tastes great on pizza or lasagna.

Cashew Mozzarella Cheese

  • 2 cups cashews
  • 2 tablespoons lemon (~½ a lemon)
  • 5 tablespoons tapioca starch
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp Redmond Real Salt (add according to your taste)

Directions

  1. Soak your cashews, for at least 4 hours.
  2. Pour out the water and rinse the cashews until the water is clear.img_9015
  3. Put all  ingredients in your blender and mix until smooth. I used my Vitamix, and the result was creamy. img_9051-updated
  4. Heat on medium heat on the stove in a large pot and have a rubber spatula ready. Constantly stir and scrape the sides until the cheese is thickened.img_9056
  5. Salt to taste, but you can wait depending on how you are going to use the cheese. I added additional flavor to the cheese by using it in a sauce with a variety of spices.
  6. Options: (1) If you aren’t going to use the cheese right away or you want it to be pretty and smooth in appearance – pour the mixture into a metal pan and freeze it for an hour. Then you cut it into cubes, and place the cubes on pizza for example. (2) Use it immediately – I was not worried about the appearance of the cheese and I didn’t need it in perfect squares, so I scooped the cheese right out of the pot and made a lasagna; I’ll post my recipe for that next!