Healthy Peanut Butter Blondies

These Healthy Peanut Butter Blondies are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free and vegan friendly! Made with chickpeas but you’d never know it! It’s the perfect healthy dessert recipe that you can feel great about indulging in!

These healthy peanut butter blondies are also vegan-friendly (no eggs)! So you can {and will want to!} lick the Vitamix clean without a care in the world! Yay! I love adding a touch of sea salt to the top of these before baking them….you can’t go wrong with sweet and salty!

Healthy Peanut Butter Blondies Recipe
These Healthy Peanut Butter Blondies are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free and vegan friendly! Made with chickpeas but you’d never know it! It’s the perfect healthy dessert recipe that you can feel great about indulging in!

 

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup honey can substitute maple syrup for a vegan option
• ¼ cup coconut sugar
• 1 TBS almond milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• extra sea salt & chocolate chips for the top

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8" or 9" glass baking pan and set aside.
2. Put all ingredients except for chocolate chips into your blender (Vitamix) or food processor. I highly recommend a great blender like the Vitamix so you get a perfectly smooth consistency.
3. Blend until creamy and smooth.
4. Once smooth, add chocolate chips and mix by hand.
5. Pour mixture into your prepared pan and spread out evenly.
6. Sprinkle a few more chocolate chips and sea salt on top.
7. Bake in your preheated oven for 20-30 mintues until the edges just pull away from the pan, the top is set and slightly golden brown.
8. Let cool for at least 15 minutes, then enjoy!
9. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can eat them cold or warm in the microwave for 15 seconds to regain the fresh-from-the-oven deliciousness!

Recipe Source : HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER BLONDIES & VIDEO @ joyfoodsunshine

THE BEST ROSEMARY FOCACCIA BREAD

Soft and chewy focaccia bread , loaded with fresh chopped rosemary and lots of good quality extra virgin olive oil !!
Use this bread for sandwiches, or just dip it in some balsamic vinegar for the perfect appetizer  !!

Focaccia bread is an easy bread to start experimenting with. Its one of a kind texture is chewy, saturated with olive oil, and makes the best panini sandwiches – I promise!

It’s an olive oil orgy and even after all that, I still love to dip chunks of the rosemary focaccia into even more olive oil!

THE BEST ROSEMARY FOCACCIA BREAD RECIPE
Soft and chewy focaccia bread , loaded with fresh chopped rosemary and lots of good quality extra virgin olive oil !!



INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 whole envelope of Red Star Platinum Yeast
• 2 cups wheat flour divided
• 1 cup all-purpose white flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for brushing on top
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary divided
• 1 pinch Sea Salt for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare two 6 inch skillets by rubbing generously with olive oil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook combine the water and yeast. Stir to dissolve.
3. Add 1 cup of the wheat flour and ½ cup of the white flour.
4. Mix on low speed for about 2-3 minutes then cover with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
5. Fold in the olive oil, salt and 2 tablespoons of the rosemary to the dough.
6. Add the remaining 1 cup of wheat dough and ¾ cup of the white flour. Mix on low speed for 3-4 minutes.
7. Add more flour if the dough is still very sticky but it should be soft and not too stiff and wrapped around the dough hook.
8. Dust your work surface with some flour and dump the dough onto it.
9. Gently knead the dough into a ball shape and cut it in half.
10. Knead each piece of dough into a ball and place in the prepared skillets and press down on them to fill the space.
11. Cover with a towel and let rise for about 30 minutes.
12. Using a pastry brush, gently glaze each loaf with olive oil and then sprinkle the remaining rosemary over the top.
13. Slice each loaf in a diagonal pattern with a sharp serrated knife and sprinkle with some sea salt flakes.
14. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes and the bread is golden brown.
15. Once the bread comes out of the oven, brush with more olive oil and let cool.

Recipe Adapted : THE BEST ROSEMARY FOCACCIA BREAD @ foodnessgracious

Quinoa Avocado Breakfast Bowl

You’d never guess that such an easy quinoa breakfast bowl could have such amazing flavor !!
Whole wheat toast, fried egg, avocado and hot sauce…breakfast of champions.

And who wants to add to the chaos by cooking a big breakfast or complicating lunch any further? Out came our handy frozen packages of pre-portioned cooked quinoa for a couple of easy, healthy breakfast bowls that would keep us going well into the afternoon.

The beauty of this breakfast is that you get a dose of vegetarian protein, healthy fats and whole grains all in one fell swoop. Protein and fat are key to keeping you full, and I guarantee that powering up with this breakfast when you wake up will help you push through those mid-morning munchies.

Quinoa Avocado Breakfast Bowl Recipe
Quinoa Avocado Breakfast Bowl…A vegetarian breakfast bowl full of healthy fats and protein!



Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp crushed rosemary
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground pepper
• 2 soft-boiled or hard-boiled eggs
• 1/2 California avocado, sliced
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 4 tsp crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Place the quinoa in a medium bowl and stir in the olive oil, green onions, rosemary, salt and pepper. Divide the quinoa mixture evenly between two bowls.
2. Top each bowl of quinoa with 1 egg, and half of the avocado slices, tomato and feta cheese. Serve.

Recipe Adapted : QUINOA AVOCADO BREAKFAST BOWL RECIPE @ cookincanuck

FRIED BANANA EASY BREAKFAST RECIPE [GLUTAN FREE]

The ever popular 'FRIED BANANA' with a gluten free crispy coating. Only a few simple ingredients and minutes to prepare so perfect for your simple breakfast.

Getting the batter right is key to this dish. It should have a light and crispy texture after being deep fried. To achieve this, I use rice flour for the batter and crushed rice cereals for the coating. Once coated, the bananas should be dropped gently into hot oil and fried for just a couple of minutes. For best results, use sweet and ripe but firm bananas. Bananas that are overly ripe will be too soft and soggy after frying.

This recipe is suitable for those on a gluten free diet as the batter is made using rice flour and rice cereals.

EASY FRIED BANANA RECIPE
The ever popular Pisang Goreng (Banana Fritters) with a gluten free crispy coating. Only a few simple ingredients and minutes to prepare.

Ingredients

• 6 ripe but firm bananas (peeled and cut in half cross wise)
• 2 cups rice cereals (crushed)
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

Batter

• 1 cup rice flour (130g)
• 1 large egg
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup water (120ml)

Instructions

1. Mix all batter ingredients in a large bowl until a thick and smooth batter forms. Place crushed rice cereals on a plate.
2. In a medium sized sauce pan, heat about 1 inch deep oil. Dip banana into batter.
3. Remove, and roll onto crushed rice cereals until evenly coated.
4. Lower gently into hot oil. Fry until golden brown, turning once. It will only take 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Remove and drain on paper towels.
6. Serve immediately.
7. Serve this fried banana with a warm mug of tea,.

Blackberry Bacon Grilled Cheese

Blackberry Bacon Grilled Cheese is the perfect combination of savory and sweet! Made with Swiss cheese, blackberry jam, fresh jalapeños, and crispy bacon, it’s a must try for ALL grilled cheese lovers! Just in time for National Grilled Cheese Day!

This sandwich is loaded with:

• Swiss cheese
• blackberry jam
• crisp bacon, and
• sliced jalapeños

It’s definitely a grilled cheese sandwich that was born from a feeling. And it just feels right.

Blackberry Bacon Grilled Cheese Recipe
This Blackberry Bacon Grilled Cheese is the perfect combination of savory and sweet! Made with Swiss cheese, blackberry jam, fresh jalapeños, and crispy bacon, it's a must try for ALL sandwich lovers!



Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 pieces sourdough bread
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 4 pieces bacon cooked
• 1/2 jalapeno sliced (*for less spice, remove seeds)
• 3 Tbsp. blackberry jam

Instructions

1. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place bread, butter side down, in skillet.
2. Top one piece of bread with cheese, bacon, and jalapeños.
3. Top the other piece of bread with blackberry jam.
4. Put sandwich together; grill over medium heat, flipping after 4-5 minutes.
5. Grill until both sides are golden brown and cheese is melted.

Recipe Adapted : BLACKBERRY BACON GRILLED CHEESE @ lemontreedwelling

Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie is from scratch homemade pie recipe like your grandmas used to make. If you’re crazy for classic cream pies, this needs to be on your Easter table! A tender, flaky crust piled high with bananas and creamy vanilla pudding, topped with fluffy cloud of fresh whipped cream and more bananas and chocolate shavings on top

Full of old-fashioned flavor, Banana Cream Pie isn’t necessarily fancy, but it’s so inviting and besides Easter eggs and spring flower decoration, it will bring the nostalgic appeal at your Easter brunch table.

Don’t let the making of pie crust from scratch, crimping the sides for classic crust look and cooking homemade vanilla pudding terrifies you, it’s not that hard at all. I’m not a pie making expert by any means, actually I hate making pie crusts and sometimes buy a pre-made one, but homemade stuff is so much better, especially when it comes to family gatherings for the holidays such as Easter..

Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie Recipe

Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie is from scratch homemade pie recipe like your grandmas used to make.

Ingredients
For the pie crust:

• 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 sticks (1/2 cup) unsalted butter diced and chilled
• 2-4 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups milk
• 4 egg yolks- beaten
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-3 bananas-sliced
• For topping:
• 1 and 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 banana-sliced
• chocolate shavings-optional

Instructions
To make the pie crust:

1. Mix flour, salt and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Add pieces of chilled unsalted butter. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and using your hands knead until dough comes together , DO NOT OVERDO IT!!! (If it’s still crumbly, add water a tablespoon at a time, up to 2 more tablespoons, but don’t use too much water or the crust will shrink while baking).
3. Flatten the dough into disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
4. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 14-inch round, wrap around rolling pin and carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate and gently press into bottom and side of plate. Trim dough to a 1-inch overhang, fold under, and seal to form a rim, then crimp the rim with fingertips. Using a fork poke the bottom of the crust or use pie weights. Wrap with plastic wrap and set in the fridge or freezer. The dough must be well chilled before baking!!!
5. Bake in preheated oven at 375 F until golden brown. Cool completely and set aside.

To make the filing:

1. In a large saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch, salt and milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly(about 8 minutes) then reduce heat and cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir a small amount of hot filling into eggs stirring well (be careful not to scramble the eggs) return all to pan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
2. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Spread half of the vanilla pudding into cooled pie crust. Slice bananas and arrange over filling. Pour remaining pudding over bananas, cover and set in the fridge until thicken (for 6 hours or overnight).
4. Before serving, make the whipped cream. Beat the heavy whipping cream on high speed until stiff peaks form, adding 1/2 tablespoon of powdered sugar slowly during mixing.
5. Top pie with whipped cream and banana slices. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings if desired.

Recipe Adapted : Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie @ omgchocolatedesserts