Mini Berry Vegan No Bake "Cheesecakes"

If you're craving something creamy, light and sweet but still heathy and nutritious- look no further than these light no bake, protein full, vegan desserts. They are hardly cheesecakes but that's probably the closest thing they come to. I like to keep mine in the freezer and don't let them defrost completely. Then, they have the texture of frozen yogurt but with a little cheesecake-like crust layer. Whatever you want to call them, they are delicious and nutritious! 😋 

Ingredients:

"Cheesecake" layer:

1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water for a couple of hours) 

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup frozen mixed berries 

You can also add a little sweetener of your liking - I.e honey, maple syrup, stevia, etc.

Crust:

1 cup raw walnuts 

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup coconut flour

2 tbsp cacao powder

2 tbsp honey

Instructions:

Make the crust first by placing the crust ingredients into a food processor or high power blender. This should be quick and the consistency you're looking for is a little crumbly but sticks together when you squeeze it. Press about 1 tbsp of the mix into a muffin tin. If you have a silicon muffin tray, this will work great! If you don't, the trick is to cut parchment paper strips into your metal muffin tin - two pieces into each mold, in the shape of a cross with the corners sticking out long enough for you to be able to grab them. The reason for this is to help you pop them out of the molds easily when they're ready. 

Once you put the crossed  pieces of paper down, press the crust mix into each muffin mold. When ready, put in the freezer to set while you're making the cheesecake layer. 

For the cheesecake layer, place all ingredients into your blender and blend till you get a smooth and creamy milkshake-like consistency. If it's too think, add a splash of almond milk to help it blend. Then all that's left to do is pour it into your muffin tins and put it back in the freezer. Let them set for a couple of hours before you devour them. Before you're ready to attack them, leave them on the counter for 5mins before popping them out of the molds. Enjoy! 

These can be made in different flavors. I've made a peanut butter one (instead of berry and it was yummy) 

Goji Berry Oatmeal Cookies with Hemp and Chia Seeds

Here is my latest delicious and nutritious kitchen experiment. The goal was to combine a variety of superfoods (goji berries, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and coconut oil) into something yummy for the whole family, including our 17m girl who loves to snack. Click on the hyperlinks above to learn more about the great nutritional value of each of these amazing fruits and seeds.

These cookies are soft and can easily be eaten for breakfast or a nice filling snack in between meals.

Goji berry oatmeal cookies

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup goji berries (soaked in water for a few hours; don't discard the water! It makes for a lovely iced tea, plus I used some of the liquid in the recipe)
1/4 cup raw shelled hemp seeds
2 tsp chia seeds
2/3 cup steel cut oats
2 tbsp honey (or any sweetener you prefer)
1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:
Combine wet ingredients first then slowly add the dry ingredients to the mix until you get a nice consistency dough that hold its cookie shape when you spoon it into a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Preheat your oven to 400degrees and bake cookies for approximately 10mins. Enjoy plain or with a smear of nut butter! Let me know how you liked the recipe and if you modified it in any way!

Banana Berry (Spinach) Protein Muffins

It's been a while since I shared any recipes...I am sorry! I can come up with a million and one excuses but I won't bore you. Let's just get to it! Here is the breakfast muffins I made on Sunday. They turned out very moist and delicious...not to mention super nutritious! :) Do not be alarmed by the color...the muffins do not "taste green."

Banana Berry (Spinach) Protein Muffins

Ingredients: 
4 eggs
2 mashed overripe bananas
1 cup mixed berries
2 scoops Body FX After FX "wild berry"
2 scoops Golden Flax Seed Meal
1/4 cup Coconut Oil (melted)
1 ts stevia powder
1 cup oatmeal flour (just grind some oats in a blender)
2 cups (tightly packed) spinach
1 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp baking powder


Instructions:
Beat the eggs, then add the mashed bananas to them. I mixed in half of the berries and mashed them during this step. Then I blended the spinach in my Magic Bullet with a little bit of almond milk. That turns into a green smoothie that you can add to the mix. After that, just add the rest of the ingredients by slowly using your mixer to blend it. Spray your muffin tins with oil and fill them up. Once you do that, feel free to drop a few berries on top. Bake at 375 for approximately 30mins (could be more or less depending on your oven). Once again, do not be alarm by the green color. You will not be able to taste the spinach even one bit. All you taste is berries and bananas! These were a hit with my husband, so I will definitely be making them again! Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Berry Protein Bars

Flourless Chocolate Berry Protein Bars

It has been a while since I posted any recipes so this post was long overdue. In most of my recipes, I like to experiment with various gluten-free flours like buckwheat, oatmeal, or quinoa. This time, I decided to switch it up a bit and ditch the flour altogether and see what happens. Instead of flour, I used a can of garbanzo beans. Like most legumes, they are very high in protein and fiber. Garbanzos contain about 12.5 grams of fiber per cup. That's 50% of the Daily Value (DV)! Here is what you need for these protein flourless bars:

• 1 can boiled garbanzo beans (unsalted)
• 3 Tbs coconut oil
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 egg and 1 egg white
• 1 cup almond meal (I used my Magic Bullet to grind a cup of almonds)
• 2 scoops chocolate protein powder
• 5-6 tbs cacao powder (unsweetened) 
• 1 ts baking powder
• 1 ts cinnamon
• 1 ts stevia
• 1 ts vanilla 
• 1/2 cup frozen berries 

I started by using my Magic Bullet blender to grind the garbanzo beans. I added the almond milk to the beans to make it easier to blend into a smooth paste. Then I added the eggs and blended it again. Poor the garbanzo/almond milk/egg mix to a mixing bowl. Add the stevia and vanilla followed by the remaining dry ingredients. I used a fork to mix everything (no need for a blender). Once I got the consistency of a cake batter (If it's too thick, add some more almond milk. If it's too runny, add more almond meal), I poured it into a greased pan. I topped it off with a cup of frozen berries. Bake at 350 degrees for 20mins.

These turned out sweet, chocolaty, and delicious...in my humble opinion. :) I hope you like them too!

Energy Quinoa Protein Bars

Energy Quinoa Protein Bars

I have been wanting to experiment with baking with quinoa. To ease into it, I baked protein bars with cooked quinoa. This grain-like seed has been gaining some popularity in recent years and apparently it was what the Incas ate back in the day :) Although it cooks and tastes like a grain, quinoa is closely related to spinach and beets. It is a superb source of protein. So naturally, I had to add it to one of my protein recipes.

I decided to go with bars vs muffins this time, although if you prefer the muffin form, you can certainly stick with that.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of  oatmeal flour (grind oats in blender)
• 1/2 cup of buckwheat flour (grind buckwheat in blender)
• 4 egg whites 
• 1/3 cup of almond butter
• 2 heaping scoops of chocolate protein powder 
• 1/3 cup of coconut oil (melted)
• 7-8 tbs unsweetened cacao powder 
• 1/2 cup of almond milk (you could also use coconut milk) 
• 2 ts of liquid stevia (you can add more if you like it sweeter)  
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 ts baking soda 
• 1/2 ts baking powder 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes 
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to sprinkle on top

 Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, then blend them together until you get the right (cake batter) consistency...Feel free to add more almond milk if you feel like the mixture is too thick...whatever gets you to the right consistency. Spray some olive oil on your baking pan and then pour the batter. Top it off with the chopped walnuts. Bake for 20-25mins at 350 degrees. Enjoy! 

P.S.: Love these as a pre-workout snack. They will fuel your workout and keep you satisfied and full for a long time. :)  

Buckwheat Protein Muffins

Buckwheat Protein Muffins

Here is another one of my protein baking experiments. This was my first time baking with buckwheat flour, although I grew up eating buckwheat regularly(It is a very popular breakfast in Russia). I was a bit nervous because I had no idea how long you have to bake it and how it would taste baked...Well, it turns out it's not that different from other flours, in terms of baking time. You can definitely taste the buckwheat though, so if you are not a fan of the taste, you probably won't like baking with this flour either.

This recipe is great for breakfast or as a pre-workout snack. Here is what you need:

• 1 cup of buckwheat flour (I made my own flour by grinding a cup of buckwheat in my Magic Bullet) 
• 6 egg whites 
• 2 heaping scoops of chocolate protein powder 
• 2 tbs of coconut oil 
• 7-8 tbs unsweetened cacao powder 
• 1/2 cup of almond milk (you could also use coconut milk) 
• 2 ts of liquid stevia (you can add more if you like it sweeter)  
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or any other nuts you have in your pantry) 
• 1 ts baking soda 
• 1/2 ts baking powder 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes 
• 1/2 cup of plain yogurt (Greek yogurt is great for baking but I used my mommy's homemade plain yogurt)
• 3 tbs of ground flax seeds
• 2-3 strawberries cut into small pieces (to top the muffins once you pour the mixture into the muffin tins) 

Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, then blend them together until you get the right (cake batter) consistency...Feel free to add more almond milk if you feel like the mixture is too thick...whatever gets you to the right consistency. Spray some olive oil on your muffin tins and then pour the batter into them. Place 3-4 small strawberry pieces on top of the muffins. Bake for 20-25mins at 350 degrees. Enjoy! 

P.S.: Let me know how yours turn out and if you did anything to modify them :)

Ball Pike-ups

The ball pike-up is one of my favorite exercises. It's mainly for your core but it also works on your shoulders, back, and even your glutes! It is considered somewhat advanced because it requires solid core strength and stability....but you won't know if you can do it unless you try it, right? So, I suggest you give it a try! :)

1. Get your stability ball near you
2. Place your hands on the ground in a plank position (like you are about to do a push-up)
3. Now, place you feet, ankles, and part of your shins resting on the ball (as in the first pic above)
4. Holding the plank position with your feet on the ball is a great exercise in itself, so if you are not ready to pike up, just hold this position for 30-60 seconds (count as one rep)
5. When your body is completely flat and parallel to the ground, start bringing your booty up to the sky and simultaneously rolling the ball closer to you. (Pic 2 above)
6. Once you've reached the highest point you can go, slowly roll back to your starting plank. That counts as one rep.
7. Do 5-10 reps for 3-4 sets. 
8. Enjoy!