chocolate chia pumpkin muffins

It’s a rainy, lazy day and I’m stuck inside with a sick toddler…what to do, what to do?  

Make muffins!  

Not just any muffins, superfood dense Chocolate Chia Pumpkin Muffins!

Chocolate Chia Pumpkin Muffins ~vegan~ Kid-friendly superfood muffins!

Kristi, one of my best friends who shares my love of pumpkin and vitamix muffins gave me this recipe found over at www.vitamix.com.  I adjusted the ingredients a tad, upping the fiber and omega 3 content by using chia gel in place of eggs.  However, if you prefer eggs or don’t have chia seeds go ahead and use eggs instead!  I also lessened the sugar content and used pure maple syrup in place of white sugar.  These muffins have just a hint of sweetness and have a taste similar to pancakes!  I changed up the sugar using maple syrup instead, and added less than recommended.

Chia seeds are great, especially for kids!  Here’s why!

~High levels of Omega 3 fatty acids, important for brain development

~Contain fiber, no one likes a constipated kid!

~Are a high-quality plant protein

~Contain iron, magnesium and calcium

Chocolate Chia Pumpkin Muffins ~vegan~ Kid-friendly superfood muffins!

chocolate chia pumpkin muffins
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds + 6 tablespoons warm water
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup pumpkin (home cooked or canned)
  • ¼ cup soy milk or almond milk
  • ¼-1/2 cup pure maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like them!)
  • 1¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅓ cup mini-chocolate chips (I used enjoy life chocolate chips)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or line 2 mini-muffin tin and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together chia seeds and warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes or until a gel is formed.
  3. In a blender or bowl with a hand-held mixer, blend together chia gel, olive oil, pumpkin, milk and maple syrup until well combined.
  4. In a large bowl, sift whole wheat pastry flour, salt, baking soda and spices.
  5. Pour wet ingredients into dry and gently stir until just combined (don't over stir!). Fold in chocolate chips.
  6. Fill muffin tins ¾ way full and bake for 10-15 minutes (20-25 if using a regular sized muffin tin) or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  7. Let cool and enjoy!

Chocolate Chia Pumpkin Muffins ~vegan~ Kid-friendly superfood muffins!

roasted beet, purple cabbage and lentil salad ~vegan, gluten free~

Roasted Beet, Purple Cabbage and Lentil Salad

Need to press the refresh button after a weekend of partying?  This salad is a delicious way to get your diet back on track!

Roasted Beet, Purple Cabbage and Lentil Salad ~ vegan, gluten free~ A clean eating, antioxidant rich salad for detoxification~

There’s a whole lot of antioxidant power going on in this salad with roasted red beets and raw purple cabbage!  Lentils are added for a protein punch making this a well-rounded meal.  Did you know purple cabbage comes from the cruciferous vegetable family?  One of the most powerful veggies out there thanks to a compound called indole-3-carbinol, which is known for its anticancer effects and capability to speed up detoxification!

Every time I roast beets I’m reminded about how much I LOVE them!  I kept sneaking bites, I’m surprised I had any left for the salad!

Note to self: Next time roast more beets for snacking on!

Roasted Beet, Purple Cabbage and Lentil Salad ~ vegan, gluten free~ A clean eating, antioxidant rich salad for detoxification~

The original recipe was found here from Food & Wine.  I altered it by dropping the bacon and blue cheese and switched up the dressing a bit.  I hope you like it :)

Roasted Beet, Purple Cabbage and Lentil Salad
 
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This recipe makes 2 large dinner salads or 4 smaller side salads.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
  • ½ cup dried lentils, picked over and rinsed
  • 3 beets, roasted
  • 2 cups purple cabbage, chopped
  • 2 cups Boston lettuce, ripped into bite sized pieces
  • For the vinaigrette:
  • 2 tablespoons shallot, minced
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ½ tablespoon maple syrup
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Lentils:
  2. Add lentils to a small saucepan, cover with a few inches of water and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain off excess water and let cool.
  3. Beets:
  4. Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 425 degrees. Rinse and trim beets and wrap them in foil. Place in oven for 45-60 minutes (depending on size of beets) or until easily pierced with a fork. Let cool and peel skin away, chop into bite-sized pieces.
  5. Vinaigrette:
  6. Add shallot, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, dijon mustard and maple syrup to a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper.
  7. Salad:
  8. Place all ingredients in a large bowl, drizzle with vinaigrette and enjoy!

fudge walnut brownies ~vegan, gluten free~

Since my post on Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies was such a hit with both my family and blog readers, I decided to make another batch!

This time, instead of cookies I used the dough to create fudgy brownies!  

Fudge Walnut Brownies ~vegan, gluten free~ Totally healthy and made with chickpeas...Shhh, no one needs to know :)

These brownies use the same healthy base of chickpeas, but has added antioxidants from cacao powder and omega 3 fatty acids from walnuts!

Let’s take a closer look at what chickpeas have to offer:

Fiber:  Chickpeas are chock full with fiber.  The soluble kind, which is key to lowering cholesterol.  In a recent study published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal eating 1 serving (3/4 cup) per day of beans or legumes lowers LDL levels by 5%.  Chickpeas also contain plant sterols, which are also proven to lower cholesterol levels.

Glucose Stability:  The combination of complex carbs, fiber and protein present in chickpeas keeps blood sugar levels from spiking.  So long hunger headaches!

Iron & Folic Acid:  Chickpeas are a great vegetarian source of iron as well as folic acid.  Both of these nutrients are essential for everyone, but especially important for pregnant women!

fudge walnut brownies ~vegan, gluten free~
 
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Author:
Serves: 16
Ingredients
  • 1 can (15.5 ounce) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup all natural peanut butter
  • ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • a heaping ¼ cup cacao powder or high-quality cocoa powder
  • ⅓ cup chopped walnuts + ¼ cup for topping
  • ¼ cup mini-chocolate chips (vegan if necessary)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 8x8 baking dish with oil of your choice or cooking spray, set aside.
  2. Add chickpeas, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cacao powder to a food processor. Blend until creamy. (this may take a few minutes!)
  3. Transfer mixture to a bowl and fold in ⅓ cup chopped walnuts.
  4. Evenly spread mixture into a greased 8x8 baking dish, top with ¼ cup chopped walnuts and ¼ cup mini-chocolate chips and cook for 20-25 minutes.
  5. Brownies are done when a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
  6. Cool, cut and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 128 Fat: 7 Carbohydrates: 14 Protein: 4

Fudge Walnut Brownies ~vegan, gluten free~ Totally healthy and made with chickpeas...Shhh, no one needs to know :)

Top with a little whipped coconut cream and you have a decadent dessert!

Like I said before, no one needs to know they were made with chickpeas!

Fudge Walnut Brownies ~vegan, gluten free~ Totally healthy and made with chickpeas...Shhh, no one needs to know :)