Aphorisms of a Dancing Girl!

Mexican Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies - Galletas de Grajea - EZ Vegan Protein Powder Cookie For Diabetics

9/8/2017

Pan Dulce
Galletas de Grajea
Mexican Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies
Vegan, Gluten Free & Grain Free

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Coconut Flour
1 scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder
2 tbsp Nut or Seed Butter
Sweetener of choice (I used 2tbsps of Agave 5)
Vegan Rainbow Sprinkles on top
about 1/4 cup of water/milk or more

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, add the protein powder, nut butter, coconut flour and sweetener. Mix well.

Add water or plant-based milk 1 tablespoon at a time, knead the mixture into dough.

Cut the dough and form 2 cookies.
You can eat this cookie dough raw but I think it tastes better baked.

Put your sprinkles on a plate. Press one side of the cookie to coat the top part of the cookie.

Put the cookies on a baking sheet.

Bake for 20min.

Cool before eating.

I used SunWarrior Blend protein powder because its grain free and super delicious. I used Agave 5 for sweetener to keep the cookie low in sugar. It's a combination of Stevia and Agave.

Bionico - Mexican Fruit Dessert - EZ - Vegan Version - Plant Based & Oil Free

6/3/2017

Bionico
Guadalajara Style
Vegan/Gluten-Free/Oil-Free

Ingredients:

Mixed Fruit:
(fruit to taste)
10 Strawberries
1 Apple
3 cups of Papaya
3 cups of Pineapple
1 Banana

Cream Sauce:
1 cup of Coconut Yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1/2 cup of Evaporated Coconut Milk
1/2 cup of Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk
1 teaspoon of Mexican Vanilla Extract

Oil-Free Granola:
2 cups of Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
1/4 cup of Chopped Pecans
1/4 cup of Raisins
1/4 cup of Shredded Coconut
2 tablespoons of Cacao Nibs (or chocolate chips)
1/4 cup of Maple Syrup
1/4 cup of Water
1/8 teaspoon of Cinnamon

Granola Instructions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine all your ingredients into a mixing bowl.

Spread the mixture onto a baking tray.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool completely.

Sauce Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Stir well.

Mixed Fruit:
Cut up into bite-sized pieces. Stir well.

How to Serve:
1-2 cups of fruit in a bowl with 1-2 tablespoons of sauce.
Top with granola.

Simple - EZ - 4 Ingredient - Blueberry Oat Muffins (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

12/20/2016

Blueberry Oat Muffins
Vegan/Gluten-Free/Weight Loss/Diabetic Friendly
(Only 4 Ingredients)

Basic Recipe Ingredients:
2 cups of Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
1 Ripe Banana
2 tablespoons of Almond Butter (or any Nut Butter)
1/2 cup Frozen Wild Blueberries (or any fresh or dried fruit)

_______________________________________

This recipe is adjustable. Here's a few things I've added in the past. They are optional but not necessary for these to come out good.

*Optional* Possible Add-Ins:
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon of Baking Soda
a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
Maple Syrup or Extra Sweetener of choice
Dried Fruits or Nuts
a few whole oats for topping

Makes 8-10 muffins.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with liners.

You want to start off with your banana. The riper the banana, the sweeter the muffins. Take a medium bowl and combine the banana and nut butter. I used almond butter but any nut butter will do. Use a fork to smash the two together until they are thoroughly combined.

Add the oats and combine all your ingredients together. Now add 1 cup of water and mix well.

Add any of the add-ins and mix well. Add the frozen blueberries. Make sure they are frozen, otherwise they will get smashed as you mix them in.

Evenly distribute your oatmeal mixture into your lined muffin tin. Top with a few whole oats.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Slide a toothpick in. If its dry its done, if its wet, give it more time in the oven. Bake times may vary on the oven and size of your muffins.

Let them cool completely before eating.

There's about 118 calories in each muffin. Naturally sweetened, these muffins are great if you have a sweet tooth but still watching your carbs and sugars.

Sweet Potato Oatmeal Cookies - Galletitas de Camote y Avena (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

9/18/2016

Sweet Potato Oatmeal Cookies
Galletitas de Camote y Avena
Vegan/Gluten-Free

Ingredients:
1 Medium Sweet Potato
1 cup Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
2 tablespoons of Almond Butter
2 tablespoons of Maple Syrup

Optional Ingredients:
1/4 cup of Cranberries
1/2 teaspoon of Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon
a pinch of Nutmeg

Directions:
Peel a sweet potato and boil it til its tender. Mash the sweet potato.

Combine the rest of the ingredients with the sweet potato mash. Mix well.

Roll the dough into small balls and place them on a cookie sheet.
Flatten them out so they look like cookies.

Bake for 15 min at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Makes 12-15 cookies.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Homemade Chamoy - Fruit Salad & Mangoneada (Vegan & Sugar-Free)

7/31/2016

Homemade
CHAMOY
(Vegan & Sugar-Free)

I love Chamoy but commercially available Chamoy is sweetened with a lot of sugar. So here's my version of Chamoy. I decided to sweeten the sauce naturally using Papaya preserves instead of sugar. So its delicious and sweet without being sickly sweet. The result was a sweet, sour, spicy and tangy taste unlike any other Chamoy you've ever had. The recipe includes a simple recipe for making your own apricot and papaya preserves.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Apricot Preserves
1/4 cup Papaya Preserves
2 tablespoons of Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 teaspoon of Ancho Chile Powder
Salt to taste

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and pulse til smooth.

Use this sauce in fruit salads, mangoneadas and more.

Below are the recipes for the Apricot and Papaya preserves.

The above photos illustrate making Apricot Preserves.

Ingredients for Easy Homemade Sugar-Free Apricot Preserves:
1 pound of Apricots
a twist of lemon or lime juice

Take the seeds out of the apricots. Combine the apricots and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat. Slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Cook and stir until they thicken.

Ingredients for Easy Homemade Sugar-Free "Dulce De Papaya" Papaya Preserves:
2 cups of chopped Ripe Papaya
a twist of lemon or lime juice

Make sure to pick out a very ripe Papaya as it will be used as the sweetener in the sauce.
Combine the papaya and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat. Slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Cook and stir until they thicken.

The photos below illustrate making Dulce De Papaya (Papaya Preserves).

Fruit Salad With Chamoy
Ensalada de Frutas con Chamoy

Ingredients:
1/2 Jicama
1 Cucumber
2 Mangos
1 cup Pineapple
Chamoy to taste

Directions:
Chop up the ingredients into bite-sized pieces. Top with Chamoy sauce.

Mangoneada

Ingredients:
1 cup of frozen Mango chunks
1/2 cup of Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
1 tablespoon of Lime Juice
2 tablespoons of Chamoy Sauce
a pinch of Ancho Chile Powder

Directions:
Put the frozen mango chunks, orange juice and lime juice into a blender. Pulse til smooth.

Put a tablespoon of Chamoy at the bottom of the bowl. Add the mango puree. Top with a tablespoon of Chamoy sauce and a little pinch of chile powder.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Gluten-Free Baking: Blueberry Crisp Squares (Vegan)

7/9/2016

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Blueberry Crisp Squares
Vegan & Gluten-Free

Ingredients

Crust:
2 cups of Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
1/4 cup of Coconut Oil
2 tablespoons of Agave Nectar
1/4 cup of Water
1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda

Filling:
1 pound of fresh or frozen Blueberries
1 teaspoon of Arrowroot Powder (or cornstarch)

Topping:
1/2 cup of Oat Flour
2 tablespoons of Coconut Oil
1 teaspoon of ground Cinnamon
1/4 cup of Coconut Sugar

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease up an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine and mix all the crust ingredients.

Press the crust mixture onto your baking dish.

For the filling, place the blueberries on a plate and mix the arrowroot powder all around. Spread the blueberries over the crust mixture.

Note: If you do not have oat flour, you can make your own by taking rolled oats and pulsing them in a blender til they become a fine powder.

In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients until they clump together. Sprinkle the topping over the blueberries.

Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Let them cool. Enjoy!

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Gluten-Free Vegan Baking - Coconut Lime Baked Oatmeal Muffins (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

6/3/2016

Coconut Lime Muffins
A Baked Oatmeal Healthy Treat.
Vegan & Gluten-Free

Basic Recipe Ingredients:
2 cups of Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
1/2 cup of Apple Sauce
1 Flax Egg (1 tablespoon of Ground Flax + 3 tablespoons of Water)
1/2 teaspoon of Lime Zest
2 tablespoons of Lime Juice
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup of Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
1 cup of Water

Optional Add-Ins:
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar
1/4 teaspoon of Baking Soda

Frosting:
1/2 cup of Soaked Cashews
Juice of 1 Key Lime
1/4 cup of Shredded Coconut
1/4 cup of Agave Nectar

Topping:
Coconut Flake

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with liners.

Take one tablespoon of ground flax and mix it with 3 tablespoons of water to create your flax egg. Let it sit for 5 min.

In a medium bowl combine the oats, coconut flakes, baking powder, baking soda and coconut.

In a small bowl, whisk together the apple sauce, flax egg, lime juice, lime zest, vanilla, water and syrup.

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry.

Evenly distribute oatmeal mix into your lined muffin tin.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until cupcakes are just golden brown. Bake time may vary depending on the size of your cupcake tin.

Make your frosting by combining all the ingredients into a blender or food processor.
Pulse til creamy smooth.

Allow to cool for a few minutes before frosting the muffins.

Once cooled, frost the muffins and top with extra coconut flakes.

Makes 9-11 muffins.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Coconut Key Lime Mini-Pies (Gluten-Free/Vegan)

5/17/2016

Coconut Key Lime Mini-Pies
(Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Tart Crust:
6 Dates
1/2 cup Nuts
1/4 cup Dessicated Coconut
a pinch of sea salt

Filling:
1 Large Avocado (or 2 Small Avocados)
1 cup of Fresh Young Thai Coconut Meat
1/4 cup of Key Lime Juice
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon of Lime Zest
1/4 cup of Coconut Water
a pinch of salt
Sweetener of Choice to taste

Toppings:
Dessicated Coconut
Blueberries
Raspberries
Pineapple

Directions:

Put all the ingredients for the crust into a food processor. Pulse til its soft and dough-like. Press the mixture into the bottom of 3 mini-pie dishes. Refrigerate to let it set.

Take a young Thai coconut and open it up. Set the juice aside and scrape the coconut meat out.

Check this blog post to read up on how you can open a coconut:
http://fatmanlive.weebly.com/musings/lupes-kitchen-corner-fresh-young-coconut-smoothie

Put all the filling ingredients into a blender. Pulse til creamy smooth. Pour the mixture equally into the mini pie dishes. Let them set in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Top with coconut, berries and pineapple.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner - Platano Burro Asado - Grilled Burro Plantain - Super EZ (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

4/8/2016

Grilled Plantain
Platano Burro Asado
Super EZ (Gluten-Free/Vegan)

Ingredients:
1 Ripe Burro Plantain (Platano Burro)
1 tablespoon of Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

Optional Toppings:
1 teaspoon of Walnuts
1 teaspoon of Raisins
a pinch of Cinnamon

Directions:
Take a ripe plantain and grill it with its skin on. You can do this on your BBQ outside or on a comal/frying pan inside. The plantain will roast in its own skin. The skin will turn completely black and may even burst a little to let off steam.

Once done, peel the skin and split in the middle. Put any toppings you like and pour a little sweetened condensed coconut milk.

SUPER EASY!

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Gluten-Free & Vegan - Purple Sweet Potato Oatmeal Muffins (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

3/29/2016

Purple Sweet Potato
Baked Oatmeal Muffins

These were amazing. The recipe is very customizable to whatever fruit, nuts or seeds you have in your pantry. These muffins came out looking as though they had a slight purple tint at the top.

Basic Recipe Ingredients:
2 cups of Glutem-Free Rolled Oats
1/2 cup of cooked and mashed Purple Sweet Potatoes
2 tablespoons of Tahini
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
3/4 cup of Water
1/4 teaspoon of Baking Soda

Optional Add-Ins:
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup dried fruit or nuts (I used cranberries)
1/2 cups fruit (I used wild blueberries)
a few Pepitas for topping
a few whole oats for topping

Makes 8-10 muffins.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with liners.

Take 1 cup of Oats and put them in a blender to pulse til it turns into powder.
Now you have your flour.

In a medium bowl combine the regular oats, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt,
cinnamon and dried fruit.

In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, water, syrup/honey, and sweet potato mash.

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry. Gently fold in your fresh fruit.

Evenly distribute oatmeal mix into your lined muffin tin.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until muffins are just golden brown. Bake time may vary depending on the size of your muffin tin.

Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

These muffins freeze well.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Super EZ ~ Only 3 Ingredients ~ Toby's Carob Peanut Doggie Energy Bites

3/23/2016

Super EZ: Only 3 Ingredients
Toby's Carob Peanut
Doggie Energy Bites

Yes dogs can eat dates. All 3 ingredients are doggie safe. My dogs love these and I find them tasty myself. All natural for humans and canines who love sweet treats.

Ingredients:
2 cups of Dates
1/4 cup of Carob Powder
1 cup of Peanuts

Directions:
Soak the dates for 30-60min.

Put everything into a food processor. Pulse til it becomes dough-like.

Make little balls from the dough. Keep them refrigerated.

Try not to make them too big. I made some smaller than others because I have a big dog and smaller ones with little mouths.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: 3-Ingredient Oatmeal Bars (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

3/11/2016

3-Ingredient
Baked Oatmeal Bars

All you need are the first 3 ingredients for this recipe. It's easy, healthy and super delicious.
It's also Vegan and Gluten-Free.

I've included some optional add-ins that I feel enhance the flavor of these bars. The add-ins can be changed to a variety of items. You can add any nuts, dried fruit or spices you like. The recipe is flexible to what you enjoy or have in your pantry.

Ingredients:
3 cups Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
2 Ripe Bananas
1/4 cup Natural Peanut Butter

Optional Add-Ins as shown:
1/4 cup Craisins (or any dried fruit)
1/4 cup Coconut Flakes
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lightly grease or line a 9 x 9 inch square baking dish.

Mash the banana and peanut butter together til it's almost liquid-like. Stir in any add-ins you want. Add the oats and stir them in.

Put the mixture into the baking dish and pat it down til it's nice and flat. Add any toppings you might want to have. I topped with coconut flakes. Bake for 30-35 min.

Let the baking pan cool, then cut the whole thing into bars.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: HARVESTING ALOE VERA & ITS USES - Smoothie, Pudding, Scrub & Spritzer

2/25/2016

Harvesting Aloe Vera & its many uses

Harvesting Aloe Vera is really easy and the benefits are great. I've seen Aloe Vera juice in the stores being sold at a very high price and yet people don't realize how cheap the fresh stuff is. The health benefits are better when you use it fresh. I've seen juice cost upwards of $20 or more. This one leaf that I bought is enough to last me all week and only cost me $1. Harvesting the Aloe Vera gel does not take long and you don't need any special tools to do it.

Take the aloe leaf and use a large kitchen knife to cut one of the sides. You'll see there are pointy serrated edges. Be careful. Cut off one of the serrated sides to open it up. Now take your knife and start cutting the top section of skin from the flesh. It'll easily peel away. Its gooey but the flesh itself is firm. Once you've gotten the skin off the top, you can start cutting the flesh away from the bottom. I like to take the flesh and cube it into tablespoon sized pieces.

You can keep Aloe Vera gel for up to a week in a container in the fridge. You can freeze aloe like ice cubes if you plan to use it only on your skin for sunburns or any other external use. You can further preserve your Aloe Vera gel by adding 500 mg of vitamin C and 400 IU of Vitamin E for every 1/4 cup of gel. This will lengthen your storage time for up to 6 months or more. You know Aloe has turned bad if it starts to stink.

I find that Aloe Vera gel is very bitter so its best to eat with other stuff. I tend to add it to smoothies, puddings, salsas, ceviche and more. I don't like eating it alone or in juice form. Some people will lightly poach or steam Aloe Vera but be careful if you do. Many of the health benefits disappear if you add heat to the gel. The gel makes a great thickener for salsas, puddings and smoothies. You can also use it in ceviche as an alternative to seafood.

As you can see, it's not hard to harvest and a lot cheaper than the expensive preservative filled juices that are on the market. At $1 a leaf, anyone can afford to add aloe vera into their diet. Try it at least once and see how you like it. In case your not sure where you can get some, I find that latino and asian markets are most like to carry fresh aloe. You might also have some growing in your own backyard, cut some up and try it out today.

Here are some of the ways I use Aloe Vera:

GREEN ALOE VERA DETOX SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Fresh Aloe Vera
1/2 Frozen Banana
1 Celery Rib
1 cup Liquid (i.e. Water, Coconut Water or Non-Dairy Milk)
1 small thumb of peeled Ginger
1 teaspoon Ground Flax
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
a few sprigs of Fresh Mint
a handful of Baby Kale (or any greens)

Directions:
Put all the ingredients into a blender and pulse until creamy smooth.

Coconut & Aloe Vera Pudding
(RAW & Vegan)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Fresh Aloe Vera
1 cup of Thai Young Coconut Meat
1/4 cup of fresh Coconut Water
1/2 Small Avocado (or 1/4 of Large Avocado)
2 tablespoons of Lime Juice
Sweetener of choice
a pinch of salt

Toppings:
a pinch of Dessicated Coconut
Raspberries

Directions:
You can find directions on how to open up a coconut here:
http://fatmanlive.weebly.com/musings/lupes-kitchen-corner-fresh-young-coconut-smoothie

Take all the ingredients and put them into a blender. Pulse til creamy smooth.

Anti-Inflammatory
Sugar Scrub

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Fresh Aloe Vera
1/2 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
2 teaspoons of Rose Water
1/2 cup of Coconut or Brown Sugar (more or less depending on how thick you like it)
2 tablespoons of Avocado Oil

Directions:
Put all the ingredients except for the sugar into a blender and pulse til its smooth. Add the sugar. Put in as much as you like, that will depend on how thick you like your scrub to be.

Sugar scrubs are especially good for exfoliating your skin especially on elbows and knees or wherever you have rough patches or red burning irritated spots. I have psoriasis and skin allergies, this helps my skin feel better and cools it down.

Aloe Vera Virgin Mojito Spritzer

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Aloe Vera Gel
1 cup of Mineral Water
1 tablespoon of Key Lime Juice (about 3 key limes)
a few sprigs of Mint
Sweetener of choice
Ice Cubes

Directions:
Put everything into a blender and pulse til its well blended and slushy-like.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Platano Asado Con Queso, Nueces y Jarabe de Arce (Baked Sweet & Cheesy Ripe Plantains) VEGAN

2/16/2016

Platano Asado Con Queso y Miel
Baked Sweet & Cheesy Ripe Plantains

Plantains are eaten all over Latin America and I especially love baking them. The plantain needs to be very ripe for this dish. The peel should be almost black and the flesh a bit mushy. This is a great healthy way to eat them that doesn't involve frying them. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 Very Ripe Plantain
10 Cloves
2 tablespoons of Vegan Queso Requeson
1/2 tablespoon of Maple Syrup
1 tablespoon of Pecans
1/8 teaspoon of Cinnamon
1 teaspoon of Coconut Oil

Ingredients For The Vegan Requeson Cheese Filling:
1 cup of cashews (soak them for a few hours)
2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk
1 tablespoons of fresh Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Mild Yellow Miso
1/2 tablespoon of Maple Syrup
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Clean and peel the plantain. Brush the plantain with a little melted coconut oil.

Put 5 cloves on each side of the plantain. Place the plantain into a greased up baking dish.

Bake for 30-40 min til its tender. Take out the cloves.
It should be soft enough to slide a toothpick in with no problem.

Cut the plantain lengthwise, just enough to stuff it with cheese but not all the way through.

Add the nuts and drizzle with maple syrup. Sprinkle cinnamon all over the plantain.

Directions for the Cheese:
Soak the cashews up to 24 hours. The longer you soak them, the creamier the cheese will be.
Put all the cheese ingredients into the food processor or blender. Pulse til you get the consistency you want. You want it to be creamy but still crumbly.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: GLUTEN-FREE BAKING -- SWEET POTATO VEGAN BROWNIES

2/1/2016

GLUTEN-FREE BAKING
SWEET POTATO
VEGAN BROWNIES

Ingredients:
4 small boiled Sweet Potatoes (or 2 Large)
1 - 1/2 cups Almond meal
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Unsweetened Cacao Powder
8 pitted Medjool Dates
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 cup of Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Boil the sweet potatoes til they're fork tender. I used Murasaki sweet potatoes.

In a bowl mix the unsweetened cocoa powder, almond meal, cinnamon and sea salt.

Put the sweet potatoes, Medjool dates, maple syrup and vanilla into a food processor and blend until it becomes a thick puree.

Add the sweet potato puree to the dry ingredients bowl and mix well.

Line and grease a baking pan with aluminum or parchment paper and add the mixture.
Top with nuts. (optional)

Bake for 30 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Creamy Mocha Chocolate Avocado Mousse

1/13/2016

Creamy Mocha Chocolate
Avocado Mousse

This must sound really weird but the result was AMAZING! This is a healthy option for desert. The basic recipe for this mousse is Avocado + Cacao + Sweetener. So any cacao/cocoa and any sweetener will do. Avocados are really healthy and have MUFA's which are especially good to eat if you are trying to get rid of belly fat. So here's my recipe that's got a few more ingredients to enhance the chocolate flavor and coconut yogurt to make it creamier.

Ingredients:
1/2 Large Avocado
2 tbsp Unsweetened Cacao Powder
1 tbsp Agave Nectar
1/4 cup Coconut Yogurt
1/2 tsp Instant Ground Espresso (Substitute: Instant Coffee)
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
a pinch of sea salt

Toppings:
Raspberries & Walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Peel and pit the avocado. Put all the ingredients into a blender and pulse til smooth and creamy.

Serve alone or with toppings.

Makes one serving.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Tropical Bliss Parfait - A take on refrigerator oatmeal.

12/29/2015

TROPICAL BLISS OVERNIGHT OATS PARFAIT

Most refrigerator oats recipes use a mason jar and milk. This recipe has no milk and is prepared in advance to immediately eat the next day. The combination of yogurt and oats is quite thick but really delicious in comparison to refrigerator oats. You could use a mason jar if you prefer but I like the parfait glasses too much not to use them. ;-)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Coconut Yogurt
1/2 cup of Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
1/2 cup of Chopped Pineapple
1 Sliced Banana
2 tsp of Shredded Coconut
mint leaves for garnish

Directions:
Combine the yogurt, rolled oats and 1 tsp of coconut together. Mix well.

Take a parfait glass and put fruit on the bottom, then a bit of the yogurt oat mixture. Alternate yogurt and fruit til you fill the glass up. At the top add 1 tsp of shredded coconut to the top and garnish with mint.

Leave in the refrigerator overnight.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Gluten Free Baking - Edible Gifts - Tropical Fruity Mini-Loaves

12/17/2015

Gluten Free Baking
Edible Gift Idea - Tropical Fruity Mini-Loaf Bread
Coconut, Cranberries, Bananas and more.

This recipe made 6 mini-loaves.

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
1/2 tsp cinammon

Wet Ingredients:
3 large ripe bananas
4 Flax Eggs (1 tablespoon of Ground Flax + 3 tablespoons of Water)
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp Orange Zest

Add-On Ingredient:
1 cup Fresh Cranberries

Topping Ingredients:
2 tbsp Chopped Walnuts
1/4 cup of sweetened shredded coconut for topping

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350º F.

Make the flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon of Ground Flax with 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for about 5 min.

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Mix together and break up any clumps of flour.

In a small bowl mash the bananas and then combine all the wet ingredients. Whisk well.

Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix well until fully incorporated.

Stir in the cranberries.

Divide the batter evenly into the 6 mini-loaf pans. Make sure to fill only 2/3 of the pan. There needs to be a bit of room for the dough to rise.

Smooth out the top. Sprinkle shredded coconut and chopped walnuts on top of each loaf.

Bake for 30 minutes. Test with a tooth-pick to ensure it's cooked all the way through.

Remove loaves from the oven. Let them cool down.

I left the loaves in the little cardboard pans for decorative gift giving purposes. I then put them into colorful Christmas treat bags.

Keep them stored in the fridge.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Holiday Detox - The Cranapple Slushie

12/11/2015

Holiday Detox: The Cranapple Slushie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Fresh Cranberries
1 apple
1 small thumb of fresh ginger
1/2 peeled lemon
2 large ice cubes
1/4 cup of water
Sweetener to taste

Directions:

Put everything into a blender.
Blend until its slush.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner - Gluten Free Baking - Crustless Cranapple Mini-Pie

12/5/2015

Gluten Free Baking
Crustless Cranapple Mini-Pie

Ingredients:

1 Apple
1 cup of Fresh Cranberries
1 Tbsp of Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp of Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Arrowroot Starch
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
a pinch of Salt
a pinch of Allspice
1 Tbsp of Water

Topping Ingredients:
A dollop of non-dairy yogurt. (optional)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the apple in half, core it and then slice it thinly. Add the lemon juice and toss. Add the cranberries, syrup, cinnamon, arrowroot starch, vanilla, allspice, salt and water. Toss the whole mixture.

Take a ramekin and put the cranberries on the bottom. Place the apple slices on the top and arrange it like a rose. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Bake for 45 min.

Add a dollop of ice cream or yogurt on top. (optional)

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Gluten Free Baking - White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

6/16/2015

Gluten Free White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

These cookies are AMAZING! I made this batch as a gift to a friend of mine who just celebrated a year anniversary in her program.

INGREDIENTS

Dry:
1.5 cups of Almond Meal
1 tsp of Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Vegan White Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Macadamia Nuts
1/8 tsp of Salt
2 tsp Coconut Sugar

Wet:
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
2 Flax Eggs (1 tablespoon of Ground Flax + 3 tablespoons of Water)
2 tbsp melted Coconut Oil

Directions:

Make the flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon of Ground Flax with 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for about 5 min.

Mix the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients together.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well together.

Place the cookie batter in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or more to firm up the batter so it'll be easier to scoop up and form cookies on the sheet.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Drop the cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 tablespoon per cookie. Press the dough balls down into a cookie form. Give them plenty of room as they will puff up and expand.

Bake about 10-12 minutes til you see a little browning on the edges.

Take them out and let them cool down.

Makes 15-17 cookies.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: No Baking - No Oven Coco-Nutty "Un-Rummy" Chocolate Balls

4/4/2015

Coco-Nutty "Un-Rummy" Chocolate Balls
Gluten Free

I made these for a meeting. Everyone thought they were Rum balls but there isn't any rum in them... hence the name "un-rummy" balls. They taste exactly like a rum ball but they are alcohol free. These are dedicated to the Fatman who likes licking and sucking on sweaty salty chocolate balls... LOL ;-)

Ingredients

2 cups pecans
2 cups of pitted dates
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cacao powder
2 tbsp Raw Agave Nectar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Add all the ingredients (except for the coconut) into a food processor and pulse well until everything is combined. The mixture should be a bit sticky so if its not, add a little more agave.

Form small round balls about the size of a golf ball by rolling them in the palm of your hand. Roll the balls in unsweetened shredded coconut. Keep them in the refrigerator.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner: Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies

3/28/2015

Gluten Free Baking
Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

½ cup unsweetened baking cacao powder
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup coconut oil
1 flax egg (1 tablespoon of Ground Flax + 3 tablespoons of Water)
1 cup almond meal
2 tbsp raw agave nectar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2-1 cup of fresh ground Peanut Butter to use as frosting

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Make your flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon of Ground Flax with 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for about 5 min.

Put all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix really well.

Line a brownie pan with aluminum and grease it up with some coconut oil. Fill it up with the chocolate mix.

Bake for 20 min. Take it out and let it cool.

The peanut butter should be soft and at room temperature in order to frost the brownies. Once frosted, put the finished product in the refrigerator so that the peanut butter will stiffen up. Once it cools and solidifies, cut it into square portions.

Lupe's Kitchen Corner - Coco Banana Nut Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

3/21/2015

Vegan & Gluten Free Baking
Coco Banana Nut Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe makes about 20 medium sized cookies

Ingredients

3 large overripe bananas
1.5 cups of Gluten Free Rolled Oats
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup
coconut oil to grease two cookie sheets

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mash bananas. Mix well with oats, coconut, cinnamon, salt, pecans, raisins and maple syrup.

Drop a tablespoon of cookie mixture on a greased baking sheet. You’ll need two cookie sheets.
Bake for 35 minutes.

Flip the cookies. Bake an additional 10 minutes.

Let them cool.