Raw Vanilla Spice Macaroons

This is my dog….

Yes, he is trying to hide behind the chair…. Mamma has gotten a new camera, and “little” Riley hates having his picture taken!… Scaredy Cat…. He is a 90 lb giant baby…

A couple of months ago I posted a recipe for Chocolate Macaroons. Here is another version of raw macaroons thats super delicious as well! They are a great treat to have in the fridge, for when you need that little bite of something sweet after a meal:-)

Raw Vanilla Spice Macaroons

• 1 cup ( 45 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup (80 g) walnuts
• 1/4 cup (20 g) oats
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbs agave
• 3 Tbs coconut oil, melted

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, and pulse for about 30 seconds till everything is incorporated.

Use a Tbs to measure out the dough, press the dough together with your fingers and roll small balls.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Cinnamon Apple Chips

We are big apple-eaters at my home…. We go through hundreds a year!!… I mean…. Ok, that might be bit of an overstatement, but it sure feels like it sometimes! I seem to drag bags and bags of apples home from the Union Sq Farmers Market every week. Its always a bit of a workout… For some reason the farmers market always decides to be open on the days Im already carrying like 3 heavy bags!!? So, Im always finding myself walking in the door all sweaty and with long arms, because I just had to ALSO buy a big bag of apples on the way…:-)

Every year my husband and I take a weekend trip Upstate NY to go apple picking. We went last weekend and brought home a large bag. So here’s the first apple recipe of the fall! Im sure its not gonna be the last:-)

Cinnamon Apple Chips

• 2 small green apples (i used Crispin)
• 2 tsp coconut palm sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp honey or agave

Turn the oven to 220 degrees. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper.

On a mandolin, or with a knife, slice the apples very thin. Pop out the seeds.

Bring 3 cups of water and honey to a boil in a large pan. In 2 batches, boil the apples for about 2-3 min, till translucent. Let the apples dry a minute on a paper towel, then spread out on the baking tray. Sprinkle with a mixture of coconut palm sugar and cinnamon.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 1,5 – 2 hours. (depending on how thick the slices are) The apples will not turn crisp until they have cooled. Take one out and let cool, to check for doneness. Store in an airtight container.

Vegan Elderberry Soup

Just within this last week, fall has definitely hit NY, and I like it!:-) I love to step out of bed and have to wear warm socks on the cold floor… And I love lighting a candle on the breakfast table to spread extra morning coziness…:-)
This is also when my craving for soup stars. I like me a good soup… And even more when it’s a sweet dessert one:-)…
I had a lot of elderberry soup growing up. It’s the perfect dessert on a cold fall evening…

Elderberry Soup

• 2,2 lb (1 kilo) fresh elderberry
• 4 cups (1 liter) water
• 2 small apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3,5 oz (100g) sugar in the raw

Thoroughly wash the berries several times. Cut of the biggest stems.
In a large pot, bring water, berries and cinnamon stick to a boil. Let it boil softly for 20 min.

Using a cheese cloth or piece of linen, strain the liquid from the berries into a large bowl. Discharge the stems, skins and cinnamon.

Poor the juice back into the pot with almost all of  the sugar and the apples. Bring to a boil again. Let it simmer for 5 min, and add sugar to taste.
Serve warm.

Kale Chips

Kale chips!??…. Chips? really?… It might seem like pushing the health-nut limit, if you have never had them before. But I promise, these chips will make you chow down kale like never before. I have a hard time eating kale… I know, I know, its super healthy! But, Im just not a big fan… But serve it to me in chip form, Im all in!:-)

Banana Bites

 

You can just go ahead and hate me…. If you are thinking “Is that simply banana dipped in chocolate?”…. Then yes… You are right… Im sorry. This is a cheater post, cuz its so easy. But sometimes, simple and easy is the best way to go!:-)

 

Banana Bites

• 3,5 oz (100 g) your favorite dark chocolate
• 2 bananas
• optional: chopped hazelnuts

Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water. Cut bananas, insert a toothpick in each and dip one by one. Use a spoon to help getting the whole piece covered in chocolate. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts if using.

Place the chocolate covered bananas in the fridge for 20 min to harden.

 

 

 

Homemade Vegan Nutella

There’s this great commercial playing on TV… A mom is talking about how difficult it is to make her kids eat their breakfast. And then she’s telling the audience how EASYYYY her life has become after she discovered Nutella! Now she just spreads Nutella on like everything, and of cause, the kids eat their whole grain bread without ANY problems!:-) …. Awesome… I love that commercial…. I love how it makes Nutella seem like a health food:-) Genius. I mean, dont give me wrong, I too LOVE Nutella, but I dont by any means think that its in the same food group as carrots…

It made me think though, about making my own healthier Nutella-like spread. So here you go! Now you can make your kinds eat whole grain too, when you spread this on top;-) And, you can eat it with good conscience… Not pretend, like that actress from the Nutella commercial…:-)

Survival Granola Bars

I went on a hike yesterday!  Put on my boots, bottled water enough for an army, applied Frontline to the dog, and packed enough granola bars for a couple of days supply! You know, just in case we would get lost in the woods…. Hey, you gotta be prepared. Its Upstate NY…. Its the wilderness!… I’ve heard there’s bears!! We dont have those in denmark… Our largest wild animal is a fox… Which actually is kinda embarrassing for the country but…. Any who!..  Off we went, and of course we didn’t get lost. It was an amazing trip:-) I wanna go again soon!!

My survival vegan granola bars:

• 160 g (2 cups) oats
• 60 g (1/2 cup) chopped almonds
• 70 g (1/2 cup) pumpkin seeds
• 70 g (1/2 cup) sunflower seeds
• 80 g (1/2 cup) flax seeds
• 30 g (3 Tbs) virgin coconut oil
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 150 g (1/2 cup) agave
• 45 g (1/4 cup) coconut palm sugar
• 75 g (1/2 cup) rasins
• optional: 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Turn oven on to 350. Spray a 9×9 inch pan with Pam.

Mix oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and flax seeds, and spread them out on a oven tray. Toast in the oven for 10 min.

While they are toasting mix coconut oil, vanilla, salt, agave and coconut palm sugar in a small pot. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat when everything has incorporated.

When nuts are toasted poor them into a bowl and add raisins. Poor the sugar mixture over and stir till combined.

Spread the mixture out in the prepared pan, and press down firmly with a spatula till its packed evenly all over. Turn the oven down to 300 and bake the bars in the middle for 30 min. 

Chocolate Macaroons

My sweet tooth often kicks in after lunch… I want that little something sweet, thats not gonna make my trip to the gym feel like a waste of time… I love “Emmy’s” macaroons! You can get them at Wholefoods and a lot of health food stores. Here’s my friend Linda holding an empty bag… We didn’t think about taking the picture until AFTER we had eaten all the macaroons… ups…… Nice manicure by the way Linda;-)

I decided that I wanted to try to make my own macaroons! So heres my recipe:-) They turned out great and are really easy to make. And, they are also super healthy and good for you too. Win win situation:-)

Chocolate Macaroons

• 55 g (1/3 cup) almonds
• 30 g (1/4 cup) walnuts
• 20 g (1/4 cup) oats
• 20 g (1/2 cup) unsweetned shredded organic coconut
• 2 Tbs + 1 tsp cocoa powder (preferably Valrhona)
• 40 g (2 Tbs + 1 Tsp) agave
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 20 g (2 Tbs) coconut oil (melted)

Put everything in a food processor, except for the agave and the coconut oil. Pulse till the nuts are ground.

Heat the coconut oil for a couple of seconds in a microwave till it become liquid. Then add the oil and the agave to the nut mixture, and pulse a couple of times till it all comes together to a dough.

Measure Tablespoon sizes of the dough, and roll them into little balls. Store them in the fridge in a plastic container, or even cuter, a Ball jar:-)