Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone! I hope we are all enjoying the day and spreading love throughout. I made a healthier version of a chocolate mousse that feels decadent but is made from healthy fats.

 

What You Need:

1 Ripe Avocado

1/4 cup Cocoa Powder

1/2 cup Melted, Dark Chocolate Chips

1 Tablespoon Honey

1/4 cup Coconut Milk

Pinch of Salt

Raspberries or Strawberries

Whipped Cream

What To Do:

In a food processor, pulse all the ingredients until you get a creamy consistency. Put into prepared mini cups and put in the refrigerator until cold. I left mine in the refrigerator over night. When chilled, top with whipped cream and your favorite berry. You won’t believe how decadent and rich this tastes!

Enjoy xoxo

Vegan Heart Pancakes

Everywhere you go, all you see is a massive amounts of hearts and roses, etc. The cool thing would be if we celebrate love all the time and not on one designated day. Either way, I love anything love related and played around with my pancake recipe to try and make them fluffier and vegan.

It sounds a little crazy to add vinegar to pancakes. I was a little nervous at first. I didn’t want the flavor to affect the pancakes. I used apple cider vinegar because it is a sweeter vinegar and really good for you. A little chemistry lesson here (sorry it’s the teacher in me). When you mix an acid (vinegar) and a base (baking powder), a chemical reaction occurs. You have heard of the volcano experiment where you mix together baking soda and vinegar, the chemical reaction happens right away and forms carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide produces lots of bubbles and boom, volcano. Well, baking powder has baking soda in it but needs to be heated to form that chemical reaction with the bubbles. When you mix in the vinegar, you will see some bubbles (that’s the baking soda) but what you won’t see is the pancake mix getting air bubbles incorporated into it. When heated, it will produce fluffier pancakes. Okay lesson complete… back to baking.

What You Need:

1 cup Gluten Free Baking Flour

1 tablespoon Organic Cane Sugar

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/8 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons Coconut Oil

1 cup Soy Milk

1/2 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

Organic Red Food Dye (4 drops)

Coconut Spray

What To Do:

In a mixing bowl, combine all your dry ingredients. Mix to incorporate the ingredients. Then add all your wet ingredients and mix. You will notice when you add the vinegar, it will bubble a bit. Don’t worry! We have had our chemistry lesson 🙂

In a skillet under medium heat, spray with coconut oil. I made my pancakes into hearts but you can make any shape you want. I didn’t have any heart cookie cutters so I free-handed it. The first  ones were lopsided but I eventually got the hang of it.

I topped mine with vegan butter and real maple syrup, not the processed kind that is just chemicals.

Enjoy xoxo

Gluten Free Margarita Pizza

Happy National Pizza Day!

So I know yesterday was National Pizza Day but I had no power due to the massive snowstorm in Massachusetts.  So for me and my friends, today is National Pizza Day!

What You Need:

Pizza Dough Mix

Tomato Sauce (check out my easy tomato sauce under Sunday Dinner)

Fresh Mozzarella

Fresh Basil

What To Do: 

Make your pizza dough according to the mix.  I used Bob’s Red Mill pizza dough. First I had the yeast mix, then stirred in eggs and oil.  I let it sit for 20 minutes.

After your dough has rested, put a little gluten free flour on the counter and roll out the dough.

Put the dough on top of a baking pan sprayed with olive oil.

Put a layer of tomato sauce on the dough.  Then top with fresh mozzarella and basil.

Bake in the oven for 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until the top is bubbly.

Enjoy with friends and a nice glass of wine xo

 

 

Gluten Free Buffalo Chicken Dip

 

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!! Although my team isn’t playing in the Super Bowl this year, it is still fun to go to football parties and watch the game. I am more excited for the commercials and the half time show.

This quick buffalo chicken dip is a crowd favorite and sure to please at any party.

What You Need:

2 large chicken breasts, halved

salt and pepper

red pepper

coconut spray

1/2 cup to 1 cup of buffalo sauce (I love Franks Red Hot)

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 package of light or half fat cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (save 1/2 cup for top)

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking pan with coconut spray.  Season the chicken breasts with the salt, pepper, and red pepper mixture.  I didn’t included a measurement because everyone likes different combinations of spices.  Cook for about 20-25 minutes, depending on how thick your chicken is.

Let the chicken cool and when it has cooled off, shred the chicken breast in a bowl, add in the hot sauce and Greek yogurt.  Mix until incorporated.

Mix in the cream cheese and cheddar cheese.

Spray a baking pan with the coconut oil spray and put in the dip.  Spread the rest of the cheddar cheese on top and bake for 20ish minutes -you want the top to be melted and bubbly.

enjoy xo