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Coconut Cacao Nut Butter Bites (NSNG)
Here are some fat bombs…AKA energy bombs! Fat is not a bad word around here, did you know that?
I made these bites without any sweetener, so they are NSNG (No Sugar No Grains). They are not sweet, so don’t expect them to be! Having one of these is like eating a shot of espresso. Oh, yeah!
If you must have that sweet sense on the tongue, you can always add a little liquid sweetener. (Go easy, now!)
I intend to use these Coconut Cacao Nut Butter Bites to fuel my active days out on the mountain bike or up on the ski hill. I expect 1 bite to keep me going for hours!
Please note– I still need to find out how they travel. The bites solidify in the fridge, but I don’t yet know how soft they’ll get at room temperature. I’m going to pack them “appropriately.”
You can use any variety of 100% nut or seed butter and any type of chopped nuts in this recipe. I used unsweetened sunflower seed butter and *unsalted pistachios.
Unsalted pistachios from nuts.com
INGREDIENTS
1/2 C coconut oil
1/2 C peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower seed butter
1/2 C organic cacao/cocoa powder
1 t cinnamon
pinch salt
Optional- maple syrup or agave nectar, to taste
3/4 C finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 C chopped unsalted nuts
1 T chia seeds
1/2 t vanilla extract
ASSEMBLY:
1. Use a double boiler to melt and liquify the coconut oil and nut or seed butter.
2. Stir in the cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, and sweetener (if using).
3. Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients.
Double boiler
4. Cool the ingredients (in the top portion of the boiler) in the fridge for about 30 minutes. About every 5 minutes, stir the mixture.
5. Once the mixture thickens enough, use a “cookie scoop” or a 1/2 – 1 T measuring spoon to make small balls. Place them on a piece of parchment paper. My batch made 32.
Using a scooper is recommended!
6. Cool the bites in the fridge until they harden completely. Store them in a closed container in the fridge. You can eat these right out of the fridge. They melt in your mouth!
Coconut Cacao Nut Butter Bites (NSNG)
Nuts from nuts.com
*I buy unsalted organic pistachios from nuts.com. They are awesome!
Mexican Butternut Squash Soup
I love to make soup with baked squash. This one is pretty spicy (by my palate), but still flavorful and not too spicy. (I’ve definitely overdone it in the past!) If you want to ease it up, just back off on the cayenne, chipotle, and chili powder. Remember- you can always add more heat, but you can’t take it away!
To make this recipe No Sugar No Grains (NSNG), omit the corn. I had a bag in my freezer that I needed to get eating, so I decided to use the entire 12 oz package. As you can see from the pictures, the soup is quite “corny” with that much in there. Adjust the amount of corn to your taste.
To get started, you need to bake a butternut squash. Wash the squash and prepare a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper. To safely divide the squash lengthwise, I find that it’s best to use the “Psycho Shower Scene” knife grip and stab technique…
Use your largest knife. Carefully make multiple stabbing cuts (slow and precise…unlike the shower scene!) with the point of the knife until you can “connect” the cuts and ease the 2 halves apart. Scoop out the seeds and place the cut sides face down on the parchment paper. Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.
Demonstrating the “Psycho Shower Scene” knife grip and stab technique.
(To learn about my 269 tattoo check out the link below this picture.)
Baked butternut squash. (One half flipped over to show what it looks like after baking.)
INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash, baked
4 C water (or liquid vegetable broth)
Coconut oil (to coat the soup pot)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped in discs
1 cauliflower, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
Dash garlic powder
Dash cayenne
Dash celery salt
1/8 t black pepper
1/8 t ground chipotle (very spicy)
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t basil
2 t dried chives
2 t Vegebase vegan broth powder (if not using liquid broth)
1 C water, as needed
15 oz can black beans, rinsed (double the amount if you want)
Optional- frozen organic corn, to taste
Measure all your spices in a small bowl.
ASSEMBLY
1. Blend the baked squash meat with 4 cups of water or liquid vegetable broth. Set aside.
2. Coat a large soup pot with coconut oil. Saute the vegetables with the spices for several minutes on medium heat.
3. Add the squash puree to the soup pot. Add another cup of water as needed. Simmer covered for about 45 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the beans and corn.
Makes about 7 1/2 pints, depending on the size of your squash and the amount of corn used.
Have some soup for dinner and freeze the rest in wide mouth freezer jars.
ENJOY!
Freeheel Vegan 