Year: 2013

Pumpkin Chocolate Cups

Melissa King 50 Comments

Get ready for another pumpkin recipe!  I have been trying to think outside the box a bit for these pumpkin treats.  This pumpkin chocolate cup is one little dessert I came up with, and they are simply amazing.  If you like pumpkin, are looking for a sweet pumpkin dessert recipe, then this recipe is for you.

Pumpkin Pecan Cups Waterrmark

Instead of adding a lot of sugar to the pumpkin mixture, I mixed it with pecans, spices and only a small amount of maple syrup.  I think it gives the filling a naturally sweetened taste.  These are very easy to make as well.  Vegan, gluten free and paleo.  If you enjoy these you may also enjoy my Clean Eating Peanut Butter Cups or my Banana Chocolate Almond Cups.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cups

Pumpkin Chocolate Cups

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Prep Time 15 min Serves 6 cups     adjust servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a food processor , blend up the pecans into a fine meal.
  2. Then add the pumpkin, maple syrup and spices and continue to pulse until everything is well mixed. Set aside.
  3. In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate and milk on med-low heat. Stir often until the chocolate becomes smooth.
  4. Get a standard sized muffin tin and place some liners into it. I use silicone liners to make the removal super simple.
  5. Place a small amount of chocolate into the bottom of each cup.
  6. Stick the muffin pan in the freezer for 10 minutes.
  7. Once it’s frozen, add the pumpkin/pecan mixture and then top the cups with more chocolate.
  8. Stick back into the freezer for a few hours to firm them up.

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Recipe Notes

I got 6 cups out of my batch. You can also use a mini muffin pan if you want to make more. I noticed the cups are a little too hard when I went to eat them straight out of the freezer. However the filling is too soft if they are kept in the fridge. I would advise you to let it sit for 5 minutes outside the freezer before you go to eat it. Then it would be perfect. I hope you enjoy these as much as my family did.

Zucchini Pasta with Avocado Pesto (Vegan)

Melissa King 115 Comments

A while back I got a spiralizer. For some reason, I hadn’t used it yet.  Until now.  I made this zucchini pasta.  I’m so glad I did. The spiralizer is super easy to use and it’s priced very well.

It makes great low carb noodles. This zucchini pasta with avocado pesto is delicious and low carb!  To get the Paderno Spiralizer, click here.

 

Zucchini Pasta

 

This whole meal literally took me 10 minutes to make!  Great for those busy days when you have little time to cook dinner.  Perfect for those hot days in the summer where you don’t want to be slaving over a hot stove.

You could top this with your favorite protein to make it complete.  Another quick meal on my blog is my Pesto Portobellos. 

 

You can learn how to use the spiralizer by watching this short video.

 

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto

Zucchini Pasta with Avocado Pesto

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Prep Time 20 min

Ingredients

    For the noodles

    • 2 zucchinis with the tops removed
    • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved

    For the pesto

    • 2 avocados
    • 15 basil leaves
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
    • 2 T olive oil
    • 2 T fresh parsley chopped
    • salt to taste

    Instructions

    1. Using a spiralizer , cut your zucchini into ribbons and set aside. 
    2. In a food processor , combine all the ingredients for the pesto and blend well. 
    3. Take about 1/2 cup of the pesto and toss with the tomatoes and noodles. 
    4. Save the remaining pesto for another time or use it as a sandwich spread.

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    Recipe Notes

    If you have a spiralizer, I highly recommend this book . It has amazing recipes for the spiralizer that go well beyond the zucchini noodles. I got about 2-3 servings out of this. Enjoy!

    Smokey Roasted Chickpeas

    Melissa King 55 Comments

    Sometimes in the late afternoons, I get an urge to snack.  Roasted chickpeas are a great, healthy snack alternative.  They can be done sweet or savory.  I made a sweet version with my Maple Cinnamon Chickpeas.  This is a savory option.

    Smokey Chick Peas watermark

    I am warning you, these are highly addictive!  They are very easy to make.  If you don’t eat them all at once, you can store them in a container with rice scattered at the bottom.  The rice will help absorb the moisture and keep them crispy.  In addition to the spices I list, you can also add a pinch of cayenne if you like some extra heat.

    For a sweet version of roasted chickpeas, check out this video.

    Smokey Roasted Chickpeas

    Smokey Roasted Chickpeas

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    Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 60 min

    Ingredients

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350.
    2. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients.
    3. Make sure all beans are coated well with spice.
    4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper .
    5. Bake for about 40-60 minutes, stopping to shake the pan every 15 minutes.
    6. Wait until beans are completely cooled before storing.

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    Recipe Notes

    I store mine on the counter in a glass mason jar . This makes about 4 servings. Enjoy!

    Pumpkin Pecan Caramel Bars

    Melissa King 62 Comments

    Pumpkin Pecan Caramel Bars.  Time for another pumpkin treat.  These pumpkin pecan vegan caramel bars are moist, gooey and totally delish!

    If brownies and pumpkin had a baby, this would be it.  In fact they kind of reminded me of my Grain Free Blondies. If you are in need of a great dessert bar recipe, these pumpkin bars are a must-try.

     

    Pumpkin Pecan Caramel Bars

     

    They also happen to be gluten free.  Perfect for those Thanksgiving parties.  You can make these up pretty quickly too.  They would also be fabulous with my Pecan Caramel Ice Cream.  Yum!

    Looking for more healthy pumpkin recipes?

    Pumpkin Pecan Caramel Bars

    Pumpkin Pecan Caramel Bars

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    Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 40 min Serves 9 squares     adjust servings

    Ingredients

      For the bars

      For the caramel

      Instructions

      1. Preheat oven to 350.
      2. In a food processor , combine the dates and water and pulse until you get a caramel consistency. You will need to scrape down the sides a few times. Once that is done, set it aside.
      3. In a food processor or blender, grind up the pecans and oats into a course consistency.
      4. Add that to a bowl with the remaining dry ingredients and mix well.
      5. In another bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and mix well.
      6. Add wet to dry and mix until combined.
      7. Get a sheet of parchment paper larger than an 8X8 glass baking dish so you will have some extra paper sticking out the sides. This will make these easy to remove after they are baked.
      8. Slowly spoon 1/2 the batter into the 8X8 pan. Then add a layer of the “caramel.” Lastly, add in the remaining batter.
      9. Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. I got 9 squares out of my batch and I stored them in the fridge. You can also freeze them! Enjoy!

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      Raspberry Coconut Smoothie

      Melissa King 468 Comments

      It’s giveaway time again.  I know many of my recipes require a blender, so I wanted to be able to give you an opportunity to win one.  I contacted Blendtec and they gave me a Blendtec blender to review and another to give away.  This blender is awesome.  I especially love how wide the pitcher is.  Makes for very easy cleaning.  I whipped up this smoothie in no time at all.  In fact, there are set modes on the blender so you can just press a button and walk away.  Great for all us moms out there who are trying to keep up with the kids as we cook.

      Coconut-Raspberry-Smoothie-Watermark

      The Blendtec blender available for giveaway is their Black Designer Series + a Twister Jar.  A $570 value to one lucky reader!  Contest is open to US and Canada residents only.

      TBDS on White LRD-Jun28-12-10 copy
      twister jar

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Not only have I made this smoothie with it, but I have also used it to grind oats into flour, and make soup.  It handled every job beautifully.  The twister jar is great because it can tackle the smaller jobs like hummus and almond butter.

      a Rafflecopter giveaway

      Raspberry Coconut Smoothie

      Raspberry Coconut Smoothie

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      Prep Time 5 min

      Ingredients

      • 2 cups raspberries (I used frozen, but fresh will work too)
      • 2 frozen bananas
      • 4 T coconut butter (shredded coconut work work too)
      • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
      • 1 T chia seeds

      Instructions

      1. Throw all ingredients in the blender and blend for about 60-90 seconds. 
      2. With the Blendtec, you just hit the smoothie button and it does the rest.

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      Recipe Notes

      If you plan on drinking 1 serving and saving the rest, pour the remaining smoothie into ice cube trays and freeze for quick blending on another day. Enjoy!

      Chocolate Almond Banana Bites (Vegan)

      Melissa King 57 Comments

      Chocolate Almond Banana Bites.  These chocolate almond frozen banana bites are so good! I wanted to incorporate the flavors of my 5 minute banana ice cream, which I seem to make at least a few times a week.

      These frozen chocolate treats are so healthy and it feels like you are cheating!  No ice cream maker necessary!

      This recipe actually won a contest on The Today Show.

      Chocolate Almond Banana Bites

      These chocolate almond banana bites contain no added sugars, except for the small amount of sugar in the dark chocolate.   They are a great banana chocolate dessert to keep in your freezer when you have that sweet craving.

      I used standard sized muffin cups to make mine, but you can also use mini cups and make a larger, bite-size batch.

      Looking for more frozen treats?

      Chocolate Almond Banana Bites

      Chocolate Almond Banana Bites

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      Serves 6     adjust servings

      Satisfy your sweet tooth with this healthy treat!

      Ingredients

      Instructions

      1. In a small bowl, mix the banana, vanilla and almond butter.
      2. Mash it together well and set aside.
      3. In a saucepan, , melt the chocolate and almond milk on medium heat, stirring constantly.
      4. Once you get a smooth chocolate, add a small amount to the bottom of a lined muffin tin.
      5. I used silicone muffin liners to make removing the chocolate easier when it’s time to eat.
      6. Once you have placed chocolate at the bottom on each cup, stick it in the freezer to firm up. About 10 minutes.
      7. Once the chocolate is firm, add in the banana filling and then cover the top with more chocolate.
      8. Repeat these steps until all are done.

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      Recipe Notes

      Using standard sized muffin cups, I got 6 out of my batch. I store them in the freezer. Enjoy!