The story of these nutella peanut butter cups goes as follows: excited, disappointed, satisfied, excited again! “What the H are you talking about?” you ask me? My bad! Let me explain. 🙂
I had nutella peanut butter cups on my mind! The interesting thing is that I hadn’t actually had nutella or peanut butter in about 6 years. But since I am not afraid to fail in the kitchen (#startuplife #failfastiswhattheysay), I decided to attempt my own version of nutella and sub the peanut butter for sunbutter.
It started off great! I made the nutella with hazelnuts, cocoa, maple syrup and coconut oil. I usually add some coconut or almond milk to my homemade nutella but didn’t want it too creamy because it needed to pack well into a cup. I wanted to add the nutella on top of an oat and peanut butter (or sunbutter as I was using) to make a healthy chocolatey, peanut buttery dessert! I made the recipe and took a bit. This is where the first “disappointed” in my story comes from. I don’t know what I was expecting but the nutella (not made very creamy) was very dense, making the whole cup taste dense. It was delicious but very dense. I hoped for the best and served it for dessert anyway. The result? They loved it! “Sure, it’s dense, but it’s delicious!” This is where the “satisfied” in the story comes from. We were going camping a couple of days later and decided to take them with us for snacks during hiking and canoeing. They were absolutely perfect!! They were so tasty and incredibly hearty filled with nuts and oats. I have just discovered the best camping snack friends! 🙂
2 cups quick oats (*make sure to use GF ifyou have a gluten intolerance/allergy)
*1 cup peanut butter
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350.
Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet (don’t over stack)
Roast the nuts until they start to brown (should take 10-15 minutes)
Wait for the nuts to cool and put into your food processor or high powered blender (like a Blendtec or Vitamix). Make sure you use a high powered blender, I don't think the hazelnuts will blend in a regular blender.
Add the male syrup, cocoa and coconut oil and blend well. (Note: if you want to make it more creamy you can add a few splashes of dairy free milk).
In another bowl, combine combine the quick oats and peanut butter.
Spoon out the oat mixture into a cupcake pan until each cup is about 1/2 way full.
Put in fridge for about 2 hours.
Remove from fridge and spoon out the nutella mixture on top.
Put in fridge for another 2 hours.
Remove and enjoy!
Notes
You can use sunbutter if you can't have peanut butter.
You know what I love more than desserts? Healthy desserts of course! And even cooler than healthy desserts are desserts with unassuming ingredients. 🙂 These black bean brownies with coconut oil make the cut.
We had a friend and fellow foodie coming over to dinner and I wanted a dessert to please and surprise! I love adding unusually healthy ingredients into my desserts and so I thought of a black bean brownie recipe. I added oats, as oats are super versatile, work great as a regular flour replacer and taste delicious, along with some coconut oil and chocolate chips (don’t skimp out on the chocolate chips, they are a must).
The result was healthy delicious goodness. 🙂 The perfect combination of fudge and chocolate. We stored them in the fridge for a few days and they were still moist. Try it for yourself and see!
These flourless zucchini fritters come courtesy of my Mama. 🙂 There’s a dish in South Asia called “pokora” or “pokoda.” It’s most commonly made with chickpea flour, vegetables and indian spices. It’s eaten as a snack or appetizer, and usually fried. I used my Mom’s pokora recipe but adapted it to make it a healthier version and one with zucchini as the main vegetable (I’m a sucker for zucchini!). Chickpea flour (also known as “besan”) is so versatile. It’s a great grain-free flour option because it has a great binding quality that works well for frying and baking.
Not only are these flourless zucchini fritters super easy to make but they are even more delicious! I make these as an appetizer when I have compnay, they are always a crowd pleaser! I also make these when I want a quick yummy snack for myself!
I was so excited to to make this post on the best overnight oats in a jar recipes! I love overnight oats (who doesn’t?) and am always looking for new, fun, creative and yummy creations.
Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you have have a gluten sensitivity/allergy. I have also provided recommended substitutions for different allergies/if you are vegan.
See my post on the best overnight oats in a jar recipes. Let me know if you have any question! 🙂
I was on a sugar free cleanse a few months back and I had an intense craving for apple pie. As I wasn’t allowed any type of sugar, I had to figure out how to make a sugar free apple pie. Turns out, it is incredibly easy! This recipe only calls on 3 ingredients for the apple filling and only 4 ingredients for the crust. 🙂 You can also check out my post on the best Gluten Free Dairy Free Pie Crust Recipes (8 Options) for more (vegan/grain-free) crust options.
See my recipe below for how to make a sugar free apple pie. 🙂
This chickpea flour wrap is a vegan/gluten-free/grain-free person’s best friend. 🙂 I have been experimenting with going grain-free recently which my gut my has been lovin’. I eat a lot of Indian-Pakistani food (that’s where my blood is from!) and so wanted a roti replacement as I LOVE roti! Before going grain-free I would usually make my gluten-free buckwheat flour chapati/roti, but now needed a replacement.
(*Update: a reader just told me that buckwheat is in fact a seed, not a grain!
“While many people think that buckwheat is a cereal grain, it is actually a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel making it a suitable substitute for grains for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein glutens.”
There is a traditional chickpea flour roti in India/Pakistan that they call “Besan Roti.” My Mom sometimes makes it and it’s delicious. The only problem though is that it is traditional quite stiff and not as malleable as regular roti. I used my Mama’s recipe as a template and adjusted it to make it more roti like. The result? Perfection. 🙂 Plus, only 2 ingredients are required! See my video and recipe for my chickpea flour wrap below.
Chickpea Flour Wrap | happygut.ca
Chickpea Flour Wrap
2016-03-16 12:33:40
Yields 2
This chickpea flour wrap is absolutely perfect. It's vegan, gluten-free and grain-free. Plus, it only requires two ingredients. Incredibly easy to make!
Pour a couple of tbsp of oil into a small bowl and set aside.
Heat a large non-stick large frying pan over medium heat.
Combine the chickpea flour, water and spices, if using, into a bowl and whisk very well.
Add a few drops of oil into the pan and coat the pan.
Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup for smaller wraps and 1/2 measuring cup for larger wraps, spoon out the chickpea into the pan.
Use a spoon to spread out the batter in a circular motion making sure to cover any holes in the batter. You want it as thin as a crepe.
Wait a couple of minutes and then flip over. (Each side should start to turn brown with brown spots). Cook for another couple of minutes on that side and then serve.
Can be eaten hot or cold.
Notes
If I'm using a pan that isn't very "non-stick" sometimes I dip a spoon into the oil and spread the oil around the edges of the pancake so that it's easier to flip.
I love tofu scramble. I’ve tried many variations of tofu scramble over the years but this tofu scramble recipe with nutritional yeast is absolutely amazing! Nutritional yeast is so versatile and is a vegan’s best friend. 🙂 It’s a terrific veggie/vegan dietary supplement and has a nutty (some even say cheesy) flavour. It’s also rich in vitamin B-12 and packed with protein –1 heaping tbsp has about 8 grams! Aside from it’s nutritional benefits and awesome taste, nutritional yeast is also a wonderful yellow colour! I like my tofu scramble to look like scrambled eggs (this way I get to trick the meat-eaters :P) and so the addition of nutritional yeast is perfect! This recipe came out so wonderfully delicious and satisfying – try it for yourself and see. 😉 I had it with some hummus and avocado.
Drain tofu (I usually do this by placing it between 2 plates, putting something heavy on top, and letting it sit for about 10-20 minutes and then draining the excess water).
Crumble up the tofu with your hands and set aside.
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
When hot, add the chopped garlic and sauté until fragrant.
Next, add the crumbled tofu along with the onions, salsa/tomatoes, nutritional yeast, spinach and pesto, if using. Mix well.
Add all the remaining spices and let cook for abut 5 minutes.
Adjust spices to taste.
If you like, garnish with some chopped cilantro and hummus and avocado.
These grain free almond butter cookies are the result of my love for almond butter. I’m loving almond butter these days. Well, I love almond butter most days but because I’m currently on a zero to little grains diet, almond butter has become a staple in my pantry.
I was heading over to a girlfriend’s house and told her that I would bring dessert. I had plenty of almond butter in the fridge so decided to experiment with these grain free almond butter cookies. They turned out fabulous!
This is how this vegan chicken strips recipe came about: It was a lazy Sunday morning. We hadn’t had breakfast yet and my brah (i.e. my partner) asked if we wanted to go to Hogtown Vegan in for some waffles and eggs (oh the pearls of living in Toronto! We can literally go to a restaurant 5 mins away and get “chicken” and waffles, I love this city!). Then I had a brilliant idea! I thought, “We have a waffle maker. We have tofu. We have (gluten-free) breadcrumbs. Omigod, I can make my own chicken and waffles!”
Needless to say, the vegan chicken strips recipe was born. 🙂
1 block extra firm tofu (I use organic sprouted tofu)
1 cup bread crumbs (use gluten-free, if you are gluten-free)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp basil
1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste)
1/4 olive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400.
Drain tofu (I usually do this by placing it between 2 plates, putting something heavy on top, and letting it sit for about 10-20 minutes and then draining the excess water).
Mix the breadcrumbs with all the spices into a bowl and set aside.
Pour the olive oil into a separate bowl and set aside.
Oil a baking sheet and set aside.
Cut the tofu into strips.
Taking one tofu strip at a time, gently dip the strip into the bowl of oil. Make sure it's completely covered in oil.
Once the tofu strip is nicely oiled, dip it into the breadcrumb mixture, ensuring that it is completely coated in the breadcrumbs (the breadier the better! :))
Place the bread covered strip onto the baking sheet.
Do that for all the tofu strips.
Bake at 400 for about 20-30 minutes, flipping over the tofu once in between.
This green smoothie recipe with spinach & almond butter is ah-mazing! This is how the creation came to life: I was at home, hard at work and, as per usual, I forgot to eat lunch and it was 2pm – yikes! I didn’t have a lot of time and needed something to fill up my belly quick. I had the following ingredients in the fridge: spinach, almond milk & almond butter. I whipped them together and voila! So simple and SO SO VERY delicious!!
The combination of apple and almond butter is the best! My body doesn’t like peanut butter so I always use almond butter in anything that I would use peanut butter in and it never disappoints! (Aside: apple + almond butter also makes a super quick and protein packed snack).
If you are nut free though, use sun butter (or any other nut free “peanut” butter). My nephew is severely allergic to peanuts so nuts are a big no no at my brother’s house. Whenever I’m at their place, I eat sun butter as my almond butter replacer and it tastes great! (I think almost exactly like peanut butter). So, in case you are nut free, feel free to replace the almond butter with sun butter and I’m sure it will taste super. I’ll be trying this recipe with sun butter instead of almond butter the next time I go to my bro’s house.
I’ll definitely be making this again and again. 🙂
Serves: 1
Ingredients for Green Smoothie Recipe Spinach Almond Milk
1 cup almond milk
1 apple, cored
2 handfuls of spinach, washed
2 tbsp of almond butter (or a nut free version, like sun butter)
1-2 tbsp of maple syrup (or any other sweetener), optional
1-2 tbsp hemp seeds (gives an extra 10.6 grams of protein!), optional (if you have it handy)
Directions for Green Smoothie Recipe Spinach Almond Milk
Throw all the ingredients into a blender (I used a Blendtec) and mix it up!
