Healthy Matcha Waffles
I was always a pancakes-kind-of-girl growing up. Every Sunday morning my family would pile into the car and drive to our local diner, Brownies, for some really greasy, disgustingly delicious brunch food. Picture the most quintessential diner heart attack food - now you're there! Haha. I would order a stack of flapjacks with butter and syrup and always got an extra side of syrup. I usually also got a side of corned been hash or bacon, and literally could almost finish it all - even at 10 years old. Yikes! These days, my kind of brunch usually involves much more of the color 'green', at least a few vegetables, and usually a mimosa or two. But sometimes, you just want to go back and have those childhood favorites - without the guilt or greasy food hangover!
These days I prefer the snap of a crispy waffle more a pile of soggy pancakes, and lucky for me we just got a new waffle iron for Christmas! It was time to test it out and make some crispy waffles to satisfy my cravings. I didn't just want any old waffles, so I used my sugar-free protein batter base and added a pop of color and antioxidants with the addition of matcha powder! The matcha powder turned them a lovely shade of green, too. Might have to whip these back out in time for St. Patty's day this year!
I can promise you after rounds and rounds of testing - nothing binds together the batter AND gives the cooked waffles a crispy edge like adding in some protein powder. Plus, all of a sudden my waffles carry a protein content of over 20 grams. BONUS! Now they're not only a great breakfast addition, but the perfect post-workout snack, too. The freeze and reheat really well, and I've taken to making a double or triple batch and freezing the leftovers for easy grab-and-go breakfasts. Let's get out the waffle iron and get cooking!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour (both work well! For GF use 1/2 c almond + 1/2 c Teff flour) 1/4 cup vegan protein powder* 2 tablespoons matcha powder 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/3 cups water 2-3 drops vanilla stevia (optional, for a sweeter waffle) 1 tablespoon oil DIRECTIONS In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, protein powder, baking powder and salt. Create a well in the center of the mixture, and pout into it the water, stevia and oil. Whisk the mixture together until the batter just comes together. Its okay if there are a few lumps! Do not mix until smooth - unless you want flat, chewy waffles. Ick! Let the mixture set for about 5-10 minutes, let scoop the appropriate amount of batter into your waffle iron and let it cook up until the waffle is perfectly fluffy with crispy edges. Keep it going until all your waffles are cooked up. Enjoy! (I like mine with butter and syrup or a bit of peanut butter and fruit!) Leftovers freeze and reheat really well - I highly recommend making a double batch and sticking some in the freezer for easy toaster breakfasts later! NOTES Makes 2-4 waffles, depending on the size of your waffle iron. *I use Sprouts brand Vegan Vanilla Protein Powder. It's pea protein based and has just 1 g of sugar per serving, which is how I am able to keep the sugar in these waffles nearly nonexistent. Use your favorite protein here, but account for textural differences if it is not pea protein. I usually use softened coconut oil here, but you can sub in any flavorless oil you like.
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Strawberry Chia Pudding Parfait
It feels like summer here in LA and we've got just about 80 days left on the wedding countdown, so we're keeping the snacks as light, healthy, and sugar-free as possible! This easy chia parfait has been my go-to snack lately. It's light enough to make a great breakfast or guilt-free dessert, but hearty enough to kill your sweet cravings and make a great post-workout meal. The chia seeds are packed with fiber, protein and Omega-3 fatty acids and are considered a superfood - so we could all use more of them in our diets! Plus, they make an excellent stand in for thick, creamy pudding. We are totally crushing on Forager's new unsweetened, cashew-based yogurt right now and used it to make our parfait. You can use whatever yogurt you like, but try to choose one without added sugar or preservatives. The real-er, the better. Especially when you're snacking! Strawberries are already in season here in California, but you can sub in whatever fruit makes you swoon. Toppings are customizable too, so you do you babes. The real point here is make a healthy, hearty, on-the-go snack that you can feel good about eating. And this one you for sure can!
Looking for other strawberry recipes this season? Try our Strawberry Lemon Crisp, Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie, Strawberry Rhubarb and Rosemary Galette, and Peanut Butter and Berry Acai Bowl!
INGREDIENTS
Vanilla Chia Pudding 1/3 cup chia seeds 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk 1-3 drops of liquid stevia (or sweetener of your choice) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Chia Pudding Parfait 1/2 cup vanilla chia pudding 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy yogurt 1/4 cup fresh strawberries, sliced coconut chips, garnish pepitas, garnish DIRECTIONS In a large bowl whisk together the chia seeds, almond milk, stevia (or sweetener) and vanilla. Let sit about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick - the texture of pudding. Set aside. Chop your strawberries and prep your toppings. If you don't have (or like) coconut chips and pepitas, you can sub in nuts, granola, other fruits - whatever you've got on hand! To make the parfait, layer alternating 1/4 cups of chia pudding and yogurt into a cup or dish, and top with your favorite toppings and sliced strawberries. Easy peasy! NOTES Leftovers last in the fridge about 3 days in an airtight container. This recipe serves 1, but can be easily doubled or quadrupled for sharing! 
Vanilla Cashew Butter Cups
Guys the countdown is on - I am officially 100 days away from my WEDDING! Don't worry, I'm not freaking out or anything (I'm totally freaking out) and the stress has been minimal (It's all LIES!), so it couldn't be going any smoother (Is it too late to elope?). That being said, I've only got so much control over the outside vendors and other things happening this far out, but I have total control over my workouts and diet, and that may be the only thing keeping me sane. I'm the kind of person who works really well with a goal date in mind, so knowing I want to tone up before the wedding has been fun to work toward. I'm in decent shape, but have been really stepping up my runs and strength-training workouts, and working on cutting out all the sugar from my diet. I've had great results lately, losing inches around my waist and thighs and I think more than the working out, it is due to the removal of sugar from my diet. We've all heard it by now - sugar is AS addictive as hard drugs to the brain. That's right, your brain's pleasure centers can't distinguish the two, they just know it feels great and they want it again. Being a sugar-addict sounds like a silly thing, but in reality most Americans are totally hooked and don't even realize it.
When I officially started cutting out the sugar, about three months ago, it was due to a combo of wedding prep and having rented 'That Sugar Documentary' and realizing it was time to make a change. The doc showed that the USDA recommends about 10% of calories per day come from sugar - this was about 25 grams of sugar per day, for most people - but the doc showed that most people are eating closer to 80 grams of sugar per day. WHAT?! That's more than 3x as much! I was blown away. And I immediately thought, 'Not me!' because of course I wanted to believe I was achieving something better and because we all want to believe that we're being successful. I'm a pretty healthy eater, but that doesn't mean I'm eating healthfully all the time. Pro tip: I WASN'T. When I started recording my eaten sugars I was totally embarrassed - the first day, I hit 36 grams by 3 pm and was still craving dessert all night. There just seem to be hidden sugars everywhere! Now, I'm not a total nut. I eat healthy, normal foods like fruit without checking the sugars, I just eat it in moderation. Because of course pancakes aren't the same as an apple. But not all people know that! So i'm here to give you a heads up. Cut the sugar out! It was a hard two weeks of cravings and a few headaches for me, but overall the withdrawal symptoms weren't as bad as I expected at all and now, I don't get the cravings at all. (Unless I'm on my period - those cravings conquer all.) So how did I cut the sugar out? Well, I started weaning myself off by making myself some sugar-free and super low-sugar treats to keep in the fridge. It helped hugely! Now when I wanted a sweet treat, I'd have a little nibble off of one of my guilt-free fridge treats instead of a 1/2 pint of ice cream. And it worked! Soon I wasn't craving the sweets as often, and when I did, I had a healthy solution to reach for before I could make an unhealthy choice instead. That's it! No magic pill, just an upcoming wedding and a solid amount of will power. You can do it too! And the perfect way to start is with these - almost TOO easy to make - Vanilla Cashew Butter Cups! They're rich, creamy, and decadent - and you'd NEVER know they had no added sugar. I used the recipe for the Vanilla Cashew Butter from my Homestyle Vegan Cookbook (it's got great reviews on Amazon!), but you could definitely use the nut butter of your choice here instead. Quick note: The chocolate you buy will affect the sugar in this dessert. If you buy a 70% + Dark Chocolate like I did, the sugar should be under 9 grams per serving, which is reasonably low. You can look for a sugar-free chocolate, but I think real, rich, dark chocolate really works great here. And plus, we don't want to demonize sugar, just eat a ton less of it. Looking for more low-sugar desserts? Find our favorites here. Also, we want to give a shout to Honeycomb Studio in Atlanta for the gorgeous, hand-made, small-batch porcelain plates in the photo. They are almost too pretty to use - we love them!
INGREDIENTS
Vanilla Cashew Butter (from my Homestyle Vegan Cookbook) 2 cups raw cashews 1 vanilla bean, scraped 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon pinch of salt Vanilla Cashew Butter Cups 1 cup cashew vanilla cashew butter 1/4 cup coconut oil (optional) 3 cups dairy-free chocolate chips or chunks 1-3 drops vanilla stevia (optional) DIRECTIONS Vanilla Cashew Butter Preheat oven to 325º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the cashews onto the baking sheet and roast for 10-15 minutes, stirring once, until golden and fragrant. Let the cashews cool completely, then pour them into a food processor with the vanilla bean innards, cinnamon and salt and process until smooth. It might take a while - it took us about 5 continuous minutes of processing to get a super smooth consistency. Of course, if you prefer it a little chunky, you do you - just stop processing while there are still some chunks left. Pour the nut butter into an airtight container and set aside. Vanilla Cashew Butter Cups Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. Using the double boiler method, begin to melt the chocolate chips over medium heat, stirring as they soften. Pour in the coconut oil and stevia, if using, and continue to stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Pour about 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate into each lined cup. Pop the tray into the freezer for 5-10 minutes to set. Pull the tray out and scoop about 1 tablespoon of the vanilla cashew butter onto the chocolate layer of each cup, centering it as best you can. Once all the cups have the cashew butter, pop the tray in the freezer for another 5-10 minutes to set again. While it sets, make sure your chocolate it still melty and ready to go. When set, pull the tray from the freezer again and top each cup with 1-2 tablespoons of the remaining melted chocolate mixture, until the cashew butter is completely covered or 'sealed' within each cup. Pop the tray back in the freezer to set, another 10-15 minutes. Once set, remove the cups from the tray and enjoy! They will soften at room temperature if coconut oil was added, so keep them in a cool place until you'r ready to eat them. NOTES Makes 12-14 cups. Leftover vanilla cashew butter doesn’t need to be refrigerated, and should keep at least two weeks out of the fridge. It will last indefinitely in the fridge. Leftover cups are best saved in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 6 months. 
Nearly Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
With my new Homestyle Vegan cookbook hitting shelves November 1st, my first book signing event and the Holidays coming up, I've really been doing my best stay low stress and to avoid sugar. Not only do I have wedding I'm trying to look pretty great for, but sugar is just not my friend. It's the number one food that makes me gain weight and really screws with my face, causing breakouts. I really try not to eat much of it as part of my everyday diet. Besides foods with natural sugar like fresh fruit, of which I indulge plenty, I really don't eat it. Except when I'm menstruating - then all bets are off, friends. Then I will fight you for your french fries. Then I will eat an entire pint of ice cream with no regrets. Then I am unstoppable, and Alex knows it's best to just get out of my way and let me eat through the cramps and lower back pain. But since I can be kind of rage-binge-y at that time of the month, I've started combatting later, meaner, hungrier me with some seriously indulgent-tasting, nearly-sugar-free chocolate chip cookies!
They are soft, chewy, sweet, and taste like they should be packed with sugar - but NOPE! Just a couple of optional tablespoons in this recipe, and it doesn't even have to be refined. I've made these cookies maybe 30 times at this point and have gotten the recipe down to an exact science. They are the perfect dessert or sweet treat when you need one, and make a decent meal when you need more like 7. They're stuffed with chocolate chips, which I think helps to totally mask the flavor stevia in the recipe. This is actually the FIRST recipe on this site using stevia because I've always been so hesitant to bake with it. But I am experimenting with it and so far, so good. Even Alex says these cookies pass his 'no after-taste' test, which is good, because a lot of sugar-less sweeteners don't! These cookies taste heavenly and indulgent, but are lighter and way more guilt-free than you'd ever imagine. Plus, CHOCOLATE. So go ahead, have four. You know I'm going to!
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon ground flax 3 tablespoons warm water 1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or AP flour) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup softened coconut oil 2 tablespoons brown sugar, maple syrup, or your favorite sweetener (optional) 3/4 teaspoon liquid vanilla stevia 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (double if using unflavored liquid stevia) 3/4 cup non-dairy chocolate chips DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flax and water, set aside to gelatinize. In a separate, larger mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Form a well in the center and set aside. In the medium mixing bowl with the flax mixture add the coconut oil, sugar or maple syrup, stevia and vanilla. Whisk to combine completely, then pour the mixture into the well formed by the dry ingredients. Use electric mixers to beat the mixture together until well combined. If not using an electric mixer, mix with a wooden spoon until you can't anymore, then finish it off with your hands. Once combined, pour in the chocolate chips and mix 'em in. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to scoop 1-inch balls onto a lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are golden. Remove from the oven and move the cookies to a cooling rack. Enjoy! NOTES Makes about 18 cookies. Leftover cookies save well in a sealed container on the counter for up to a week. |
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