Nutella Peanut Butter Cups

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Nutella Peanut Butter Cups

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! 🙂 

Nutella Peanut Butter Cups
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups roasted hazelnuts
  2. 1/2 cup maple syrup
  3. 1/3 cup cocoa
  4. 2 tbsp coconut oil
  5. pinch of salt
  6. 2 cups quick oats (*make sure to use GF ifyou have a gluten intolerance/allergy)
  7. *1 cup peanut butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350.
  2. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet (don’t over stack)
  3. Roast the nuts until they start to brown (should take 10-15 minutes)
  4. 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.
  5. 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).
  6. In another bowl, combine combine the quick oats and peanut butter.
  7. Spoon out the oat mixture into a cupcake pan until each cup is about 1/2 way full.
  8. Put in fridge for about 2 hours.
  9. Remove from fridge and spoon out the nutella mixture on top.
  10. Put in fridge for another 2 hours.
  11. Remove and enjoy!
Notes
  1. You can use sunbutter if you can't have peanut butter.
HappyGut http://www.happygut.ca/
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Vegan Chickpea Meatballs

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Vegan Chickpea Meatballs

Some times a girl just wants some vegan chickpea meatballs! Meatballs had been on my mind for quite some time and so when I found out that a couple of friends were coming over for dinner, it became a vegan chickpea meatballs night! I love, LOVE chickpeas. Not only are they incredibly delicious, but they are so versatile – you can use them for appetizers (hummus) main meals (chickpea meatballs, chickpea curry, chickpea wraps, etc.) and even in desserts (chickpea brownies are a thing)!

I served these meatballs with some rice noodles (I could have easily made this meal grain-free by using squash or lentil noodles) and my salted vegan caramel cheesecake for dessert. 

Vegan Chickpea Meatballs
Vegan Chickpea Meatballs | happygut.ca

Vegan Chickpea Meatballs
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Ingredients
  1. 1 tbsp chia + 3 tbsp water
  2. 1 onion
  3. 2 cloves of garlic
  4. 2 cups cooked (or canned) chickpeas
  5. 1 tsp basil
  6. 1 tsp oregano
  7. 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  8. 1/2 tsp pepper
  9. salt, to taste (I put about 1 tsp)
  10. 1 tsp baking powder
  11. 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  12. *1 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400.
  2. Combine the chia with the water and set aside. Try to use ground chia but if not whole chia seeds will also work.
  3. Add the onions and garlic into a food processor and mix well.
  4. In a large sized bowl, add the cooked or canned chickpeas, basil, oregano, chilli, pepper, salt, chia mixture, onion mixture, baking powder and lemon.
  5. Mash by hand. You don't want to use a food processor because it will thin it out too much. You want it thick enough where you can form the mixture into balls.
  6. Add the bread crumbs and mix again.
  7. From into balls and place on a greased pan.
  8. Bake for about 30 minutes (flipping mid way through).
  9. Add on top of your choice of spaghetti and add some additional toppings if you wish - (vegan) cheese, chilli flakes, etc.
  10. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. Use gluten free breadcrumbs if you have a gluten intolerance/allergy.
HappyGut http://www.happygut.ca/
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Mexican Salad In A Jar

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Mexican Salad In A Jar

Mexican salad in a jar! Part 2 of the mason jar lunch salad series (you can check out other lunch in a mason jar recipes). I have been very hard not to buy lunch. :S The problem is though, like most people, I don’t have the time or often the foresight to make lunch in advance. I love this Mexican salad in a jar recipe because it requires minimal prep and is so quick and easy to make. You can make a few of these and they will last at least 2 days in the fridge (longer if you don’t add the avocado in the jar but just before you are ready to eat). 

Mexican Salad In A Jar
Mexican Salad In A Jar | happygut.ca

Mexican Salad In A Jar
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Ingredients
  1. 1/3 cup salsa
  2. 1 cup black beans (canned or cooked)
  3. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  4. 1/3 cup corn (I used canned)
  5. *1/2 an avocado, chopped
  6. 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Using a medium sized mason jar, add the salsa
  2. Add the black beans
  3. Add the cilantro
  4. Add the corn
  5. Add the avocado
  6. Will keep in the fridge for about 3 days
  7. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. We use the lemon for taste but to also prevent the avocado from going brown. You can also cut and use the avocado right before you eat it to prevent any browning from happening.
HappyGut http://www.happygut.ca/
You can check out my other salad jar recipe here.

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Black Bean Brownies (with coconut oil)

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Black Bean Brownies with Coconut Oil

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! 

Black Bean Brownies (with coconut oil)
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Ingredients
  1. 1 can black beans
  2. *1/2 cup rolled oats
  3. 1/3 cup cocoa
  4. 1/2 cup maple syrup
  5. 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  6. 1 tsp vanilla
  7. 1 tsp baking soda
  8. pinch of salt
  9. 2 handfuls chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a food processor, combine all the ingredients in a food processor, except for the chocolate chips, and blend until smooth.
  3. Add in the chocolate chips and mix by hand
  4. Grease your baking pan
  5. Pour in the batter and smooth over with a spoon
  6. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top
  7. Bake for about 25 minutes
  8. Let it cool for at 20 minutes if you can wait that long 😛
Notes
  1. *make sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you have a gluten allergy/intolerance
HappyGut http://www.happygut.ca/
For more healthy dessert brownies you can check out my Mint Brownie Recipe From Scratch and Grain Free Sugar Free Vegan Brownie Recipe.

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Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

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Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

Friends, I’m not ready for summer to end and this vegan chocolate cheesecake recipe is a testament to that. I love LOVE vegan cheesecakes and this vegan chocolate cheesecake recipe has been one of my favourite desserts this summer. It was my sister-in-law’s birthday and it was my job to make the cake! I wanted a crowd pleaser so opted for chocolate. Who doesn’t love chocolate? Chocolate is always a safe bet. 🙂 I use my traditional base of nuts and dates and made the filling out of bananas and cocoa. The combination of bananas and chocolate is wonderful. The number of desserts that have been created by these two simple and delicious ingredients is plenty, I’m sure. I decided to keep the recipe simple and easy. The result? Pure chocolatey heaven. 🙂 

Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe | happygut.ca
Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe | happygut.ca

Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
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Crust ingredients
  1. 1 cup soaked dates
  2. 1 cup almonds (or any other nuts like almonds, pecans)
  3. 1/2 shredded coconut
Filling ingredients
  1. 1 cup cashews, soaked
  2. meat from can of coconut milk (this is the solid part)
  3. 2 bananas
  4. 1/4 cup soaked dates
  5. 1 tsp vanilla
  6. 1 tsp salt
  7. 1/3 cup cocoa
  8. 1 tbsp lemon
  9. 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  10. 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Soak cashews & dates, separately (you can do this overnight or if you are like me and forget, I usually just soak them in very warm water for about 10-20 minutes).
  2. Throw all the crust ingredients into a food processor and blend until the mixture starts to form a ball.
  3. In a high-powered blender or food processor, add all the filling ingredients and blend until completely smooth.
  4. Grease a cake pan with some coconut oil and pad down the crust mixture onto the bottom of the pan. Smooth it out.
  5. Pour the chocolate filling ingredients into the pan, on top of the crust and smooth out as well.
  6. Freeze for at least 2 hours.
  7. Remove from freezer and enjoy!
HappyGut http://www.happygut.ca/

Here are a list of my other vegan cheesecakes: 

Raw Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe

Vegan Caramel Cheesecake

Vegan Mango Cheesecake Recipe

 

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Spicy Cashew Sauce (Vegan)

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Spicy Cashew Sauce

This spicy cashew sauce is absolutely delicious. I’ve been on a vegan cheese kick these past couple of weeks and out of all my vegan cheese recipes, this has got to be one of my top three. I had jalapeños in my fridge and knew that they would be perfect in a vegan spicy cashew sauce. I added some garlic, tomato, cilantro, and spices to the jalapeños and the result was amazing! I served this spicy cashews sauce with some tortillas as an appetizer, along with chickpea meatballs (soon to be posted) and my vegan caramel cheesecake for dessert. 

One of the hardest things to give up is cheese but after discovering the wonderful world of cashews, along with other replacers, vegan cheese just got easier folks! 

Spicy Cashew Sauce
Spicy Cashew Sauce | happygut.ca

Spicy Cashew Sauce
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For Spicy Mixture
  1. 1 tbsp olive oil
  2. 1 clove garlic, chopped
  3. 1/4 cup onions, chopped
  4. 1/4 cup jalapeños, chopped
  5. 1/4 cup tomato, chopped
  6. 1/2-1 tsp chilli flakes
  7. 1/2 tsp cumin
  8. 1/2 tsp salt
  9. pinch of pepper
For Cashew Mixture
  1. 1/2 cup cashews
  2. 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  3. 1 clove garlic
  4. 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  5. 1/4 cup olive oil
  6. 1/4 cup almond milk
  7. freshly lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and sauté garlic until fragrant.
  2. Add the onions, and mix until the onions get translucent.
  3. Add the jalapeños, tomato, salt, cumin, chilli flakes and pepper and mix until the veggies get soft.
  4. Remove from heat.
  5. In a blender, add the cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, cilantro, spicy mixture, almond milk, oil, and lemon and blend until smooth.
  6. Enjoy with tortillas, bread, chips or anything else you fancy!
HappyGut http://www.happygut.ca/
Fore more vegan cheese recipes you can check out my mac ‘n’ cheese recipe. 

 

 

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Flourless Zucchini Fritters

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Flourless Zucchini Fritters

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! 

Flourless Zucchini Fritters
Flourless Zucchini Fritters | happygut.ca

Flourless Zucchini Fritters
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups chickpea flour (besan)
  2. 2 tsp salt
  3. 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  4. 1 tsp coriander powder
  5. *optional - 1 tsp pomegranate seed powder (also known as "anardana")
  6. 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  7. 1/3 cup onion, chopped
  8. 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
  9. 1/2-1 chilli, chopped
  10. 1&1/4 cup water
  11. 1 tsp baking powder
  12. and any other veggies you want (spinach, kale, cauliflower, etc.)
  13. coconut oil, for pan frying
Instructions
  1. Add the chickpea flour with all of the spices into a bowl and mix well.
  2. Add the cilantro, onion, zucchini and any other veggies you are including and mix.
  3. Add the water mix until it is nicely combined.
  4. Add the baking powder.
  5. Heat up a frying pan over medium heat.
  6. Add a couple of tbsp of coconut oil and wait until the pan is out.
  7. Using a 1/3 cup, pour the chickpea batter onto the pain and wait a couple of minutes.
  8. Flip and so the same on the other side, it should be a golden brown colour.
  9. Continue until you are done the batter.
  10. Enjoy!
HappyGut http://www.happygut.ca/
For more chickpea flour recipes you can check out my 2-ingredient chickpea flour wrap and my chickpea pattie recipe.

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Lunch in a Mason Jar Recipes – Chickpea Salad

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Lunch in a Mason Jar Recipes

Friends, I’ve been pretty excited to do this series: Lunch in a Mason Jar Recipes! Many people have been asking me for quick, healthy lunch ideas. I love lunch in a mason jar recipes. They are quick to make, you can store them for 3-5 days and, most importantly, they are really pretty! 

I have tried to make it a point to spend less money on lunch! Lunch is expensive folks and (usually) not as healthy as the things I make it home. It’s a lose lose: expensive and unhealthy. Salad jars will be the name of the game for a bit, until I get tired of them and opt for something else. 😛 In the meantime though, ode to salads!

I’m a sucker for bean salads. They are so versatile! Lemon, garlic, olive oil and a few spices can go a long way. You can see my http://happygut.ca/black-bean-tomato-avocado-salad/ for another super easy and yummy recipe. The next salads I have in the line-up are a mexican salad and a tofu asian salad! Keep your eyes open. Have any other lunch in a mason jar recipes you’d like to try? Let me know and I’ll give it a shot! Feedback is very much appreciated. 🙂

Lunch in a Mason Jar Recipes - Chickpea Salad
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Ingredients
  1. 2 tbsp olive oil
  2. 2 tbsp lemon
  3. 1 clove garlic
  4. pinch of salt and pepper
  5. 1 cup chickpeas (cooked or from the can)
  6. 1 green onion, chopped
  7. 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes
  8. 1 cup spinach
Instructions
  1. In a medium sized mason jar, add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.
  2. Add the chickpeas.
  3. Add the green onion.
  4. Add the cherry tomatoes.
  5. Add the spinach.
  6. Will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.
  7. Enjoy!
HappyGut http://www.happygut.ca/

 

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Vegan Caramel Cheesecake (Raw)

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Vegan Caramel Cheesecake

This vegan caramel cheesecake hits the spot! I’m not a huge fan of caramel as I find it super sweet so I added some salt in the sauce and made it a salted caramel cheesecake. The result? The perfect amount of salty sweet goodness. 🙂 

We had a few friends come over and so I wanted try out a new recipe. I used my previous vegan cheesecakes as a baseline (like my Mango Vegan Cheesecake) and adapted from them. I love vegan cheesecakes because they are incredibly easy to make. And, even more delicious. 😛 

I made this dessert to go along with my vegan “meatballs” soon to be posted! It made for a perfect very satisfying meal. 

IMG_7038

Vegan Caramel Cheesecake
Vegan Caramel Cheesecake | happygut.ca

Vegan Caramel Cheesecake
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Crust
  1. 2 cups walnuts
  2. 1 cup dates
Filling
  1. 1 cup soaked cashews
  2. meat from can of full fat coconut milk (solid white part only)
  3. 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  4. 1 tsp vanilla
  5. 1/4 melted coconut oil
  6. pinch of salt
  7. 1/4 maple syrup
Salted Caramel Topping
  1. 1/4 cup dates (soaked in hot water)
  2. 1/4 cup maple syrup
  3. salt, to taste (depending on how salty you want it)
Instructions
  1. Soak cashews & dates, separately (you can do this overnight or if you are like me and forget, I usually just soak them in very warm water for about 10-20 minutes).
  2. Throw all the crust ingredients into a food processor and blend until the mixture starts to form a ball.
  3. In a high-powered blender or food processor, add all the filling ingredients and blend until completely smooth.
  4. Grease a cake pan with some coconut oil and pad down the crust mixture onto the bottom of the pan. Smooth it out.
  5. Pour the filling ingredients into the pan, on top of the crust and smooth out as well.
  6. Freeze for at least 2 hours.
  7. In the meantime, combine all the caramel sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add some hot water if it is not blending easily.
  8. Remove from freezer, top with the caramel sauce and enjoy!
Notes
  1. If the caramel topping is not blending easily, you can add some hot water a few tablespoons at a time to make it easier. The softer the dates, the easier it will be to blend well.
HappyGut http://www.happygut.ca/
Love vegan cheesecakes? You can also check out my Raw Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe.

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Easy Vegan Fried Rice (with tofu)

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Easy Vegan Fried Rice

Sometimes one just needs some fried rice. It’s so satisfying and comforting. What’s better than regular ol’ egg fried rice? Easy vegan fried rice with tofu! I know what you’re thinking, “Eggactly!” 😛

The combination of garlic, nutritional yeast, soy sauce and spices makes for such a spicy tangy and delicious meal! This easy vegan fried rice is eggcelent! (I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself!). 

If you are gluten-free make sure you use a gf soy sauce. I usually use Braggs.

Easy Vegan Fried Rice
Easy Vegan Fried Rice | happygut.ca
Easy Vegan Fried Rice
Easy Vegan Fried Rice | happygut.ca

See my video for Easy Vegan Fried Rice

Looking for more vegan egg-y recipes? Check out my Tofu Scramble! 

Easy Vegan Fried Rice
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Ingredients
  1. 1 tbsp oil
  2. 2 cloves garlic
  3. 1/2 block tofu
  4. 1/2 tsp turmeric
  5. 1/2 tsp cumin
  6. 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  7. salt, to taste
  8. 1/4 tsp chilli powder, or to taste
  9. 1.5 cup veggies (I used frozen carrots, peas, and carrots)
  10. 1 cup rice, uncooked (makes about 2.5 cups cooked)
  11. 3 green onions, chopped
  12. 1-2 tbsp soy sauce (I used Braggs)
  13. hot sauce, to taste
Instructions
  1. 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).
  2. Wash and cook the rice (add the rice with about 3 cups of water and cook over medium-high until done). Set aside.
  3. Using a large frying pan or skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
  4. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
  5. Crumble the tofu and add.
  6. Add all the spices and nutritional yeast and mix well (it should turn yellow).
  7. Add the veggies and mix again.
  8. Add the cooked rice and mix again - yes there is a lot of mixing :).
  9. Add the green onions, soy sauce/braggs and hot sauce.
  10. Mix again.
  11. Enjoy!
HappyGut http://www.happygut.ca/
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