Cocoa Oat Power Pancakes

I'm a pancake person. I love all kinds of pancakes. Banana pancakes, blueberry pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, pumpkin pancakes . . . oh,  now I've got myself started. And hungry. To be honest, I didn't know that being a "pancake person" was even a thing you could be until recently. I mean, aren't we all pancake people? Will informed me that he is not much of a pancake person. I mean, what? How can you not love pancakes!? Did something tragic happen to you in your childhood that involved pancakes? I hope not. He then informed that it is simply because he finds them too dense and filling. I've been on a pancake mission ever since. In other words, I'm really mean and make him eat pancakes every time I make them. I am proud to say that he has yet to not enjoy a pancake I have made him. Unless he is lying to me...

These pancakes are some of the favorite I've ever eaten. And I've had a lot of pancakes over the years, let me tell you. They're sweet, but not too sweet. They are packed full of protein. And these are healthy! Without tasting too healthy, if you know what I mean. They are also gluten free, so they tend to sit in your belly a little lighter.

Cocoa Oat Power Pancakes, serves 2

6 egg whites
3/4 cup oats
5 pitted dates
1/2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tablespoon unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
1 tablespoon coconut oil, for cooking

Directions: Crack six eggs and separate them, using only the egg whites. Beat the whites thoroughly in a bowl and then set them aside. Using a food processor, a blender, or a magic bullet, blend the 3/4 cup oats into a fine powder. Add the oat flour to the beaten eggs. Also blend the dates until as smooth as possible. Add them to the mixture as well; it is easiest to use a fork for this and sort of mash the dates into the mixture as you go. Combine until smooth.

Directions (continued): Once the dates are evenly distributed, add in the cocoa powder and cinnamon, as well as enough almond milk to make the pancake batter nice and smooth (usually just a little drop or two). You can add some mini chocolate chips to the batter, if you fancy. Using a large griddle or pan over medium heat, melt the coconut oil and pour the batter into small rounds. Cook until large bubbles appear in the batter and then flip to cook the other side.

Enjoy these pancakes topped with some creamy peanut butter, fresh raspberries and blackberries, or with good old fashioned maple syrup.

Do you have a favorite pancake recipe? Leave a link in the comments below for this pancake connoisseur to check out!

Loaded Veggie Cauliflower Crust Pizza

You guys, I did it. I accomplished something really important; eating pizza while following the Revolt diet (and it's not even a cheat)! I have really great priorities. I know I've said over and over again that the only thing I really crave anymore, since switching to a whole foods diet, is pizza. And I crave it like crazy, as in I would make pizza almost every weekend for my cheat day. This is probably pretty obvious considering the percentage of recipes on this blog that are pizza. Pizza, I just don't know how to quit you.

How did I accomplish this you ask? Well, Nichole (the founder of Revolt) is super SUPER lovely and always takes menu suggestions before each uprising. And of course, the only thing on my mind when I saw the thread on Facebook was pizza. So I thought, "You know what? Cauliflower crust is actually pretty healthy." And so I suggested it, never thinking that my dream of a daily pizza indulgence while following the Revolt diet would actually become reality. But it diddd! This uprisings menu included Flourless Margherita Pizza. My recipe was close enough to the one she shared that I made mine to eat this week instead. This recipe is a bit time consuming, and the crust can be a bit tricky, but it is so worth it.

Loaded Veggie Cauliflower Crust Pizza, makes 8 slices or 4 servings

For the crust:
3 cups cauliflower (about 1/2 a large head)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/8 of a cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

For the marinara sauce:
2 tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic 
4 large leaves fresh basil
dried oregano, dried rosemary, salt, and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon red wine

Toppings:
3/4 of a cup mozarella cheese
1/4 of a red onion
1/2 of a red bell pepper
1/2 of a cup of mushrooms
1/2 of a tomato
a loose handful of spinach
1/8 of a cup fresh basil
red pepper flakes

Directions (for the crust): Rinse a head of cauliflower thoroughly and then cut in half. You'll only need half for the crust. Using a large knife and large cutting board, chop the cauliflower into the smallest sizes possible. I've heard that grating the cauliflower works well, but I prefer this option. Just be prepared for a big mess. You'll want to try and only chop the flowery part of the cauliflower for this crust. You should have about 3 cups of crumbles. Place the crumbles in a large microwave-safe container and cook in the microwave for eight to ten minutes (until fully cooked and soft). Let cool. This next step in important, and will really help your crust stay intact. Place the cooled, cooked cauliflower crumbles on a clean dish towel and press firmly to remove as much moisture as possible. It should wet the dish towel pretty significantly, and when done, be a little bit flaky or paste-like. You don't have to remove all the moisture, but removing as much as possible will help your crust turn out greatly. Next, mix the cauliflower with a beaten egg, 1/8 cup mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Once combined, pat and mold into a 1/4 inch thick round on a pizza pan or stone lined with parchment paper. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Once removed, turn the oven down to 400 degrees.

Directions (for the sauce): In a blender or food processor, blend the tomatoes and garlic cloves. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat. Add in the fresh basil leaves and all of the other spices, tasting as you go until it reaches a flavor of your liking. I tend to add A LOT of rosemary and oregano. Add the tablespoon of wine and let the sauce simmer over medium heat for about ten minutes to let it reduce/thicken.

Directions: Thinly slice all of the vegetables. Top the cooked cauliflower crust with the prepared marinara sauce and then layer on the vegetables. Finish with 3/4 cups mozzarella, a handful of fresh pizza with the sauce, 1/4 cup mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, and a small sprinkling of red pepper flakes. Bake at 400 degrees for another 10 minutes, and then turn on the broil and watch closely until the pizza is golden and bubbly.

Enjoy two pieces served with a green salad and/or fresh fruit.

Vegan Fajita Salad with Fresh Black Bean Salsa

I am all about salads this time of year. There is nothing more refreshing on a hot day than fresh food, especially with so many fresh garden vegetables slowly becoming available. This salad is all the right kinds of good. I made a fresh black bean salsa (deviating a bit from a Texas Caviar recipe I had) that is light and crisp and just a bit tangy/zesty. I was eating it by the spoonful. That salsa paired with some grilled fajita vegetables and yummy grilled tofu (totally optional) makes such a pretty combination that I'll be having food dreams for days. In fact, it's so good that I'm going to have it for dinner again tonight. And the night after that. And the night after that. And then I'm going to lick the salsa bowl clean. And cuddle it to sleep.

Too much?

For the Salsa (loosely adapted from a Revolt recipe, Texas Caviar):

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 4 oz can green chilies
1/2 of a large red onion
1/4 of a red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 of a green bell pepper, finely diced
3 to 4 large garden tomatoes (I used the kind sold on the vine), diced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, minced
2 limes, squeezed
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon garlic powder
8 oz Italian dressing (I used Wishbone Robusto Italian)

Directions: Rinse and drain your beans and combine them in a bowl with the green chilies. Set aside. Chop your bell peppers (save what remains for the fajita salad!) and onions and combine with the beans and chilies. Dice your tomatoes and pour into the bowl with the other ingredients (get all those yummy juices in there!). For the cilantro, I like to rinse it, remove as many of the stems as possible, kind of roll it all up into a ball, and chop it up finely using kitchen shears. Add it, and the rest of the spices, to the salsa. Then, using a small citrus juicer, squeeze the limes and add their juice to the salsa, giving everything a really good stir. Finally pour 8 oz (usually half of a store bought bottle) of Italian dressing over the salsa and stir it together. Refrigerate until serving.

This salsa can be made in advance; in fact, I recommend it. Letting it sit allows all those flavors to meld together. I like to make it in the morning and then store in the fridge until dinner time. It seems to get better after sitting for a day or two and can be kept in the fridge for a week (if it lasts that long).

If you'd like to add tofu to your salad, I marinated one 12.3 oz package extra-firm Tofu in about 4 oz of Italian dressing (leftover from the salsa). I recommend these tips for marinating tofu to perfection. I know, it sounds like a strange combination, tofu in Italian dressing to top a fajita salad, but something about all those flavors together is perfect. Tofu is not necessary here, I find this perfectly tasty with just the salsa and veggies atop the leafy greens. Tofu does give it some extra umpf, though. If you're a meat eater, try pairing this with white fish, grilled chicken, or slices of steak.

Vegan Fajita Salad, serves 4:

3/4 of a red bell pepper (leftover from the salsa), sliced
1/2 of a green bell pepper (leftover from the salsa), sliced
1/2 of a red onion (leftover from the salsa), thinly sliced
1 zucchini squash, sliced

1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon coconut oil

12.3 oz package extra-firm Tofu, marinated in 4 oz Italian dressing, optional

8 cups leafy greens, such as romaine lettuce and spinach

Directions: Slice the leftover vegetables  (red bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion) you saved from making the salsa and a zucchini. Melt the coconut oil in a pan over medium high heat and add all the vegetables. Cook until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Once tender add all the seasoning and cook for another 5 minutes, reducing the heat slightly. While the vegetables are cooking, grill up the marinated tofu in a separate pan until crispy and golden brown.

Once the vegetables and tofu are fully cooked, place 2 cups of leafy greens (per person) in a bowl and top with 1/4 of the vegetables and tofu. Also top with 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of salsa (or as much as you want!).

Don't be surprised if you eat half of that bowl of salsa, with chips, in one sitting. Or if you want to eat this salad again and again and again.

Enjoy!

Healthy Eating Tips by Mary from Mary Makes Dinner

^Left picture courtesy of Brooklyn Food Experiment. All other pictures in this post courtesy of Mary Helen Leonard.^

You may remember a few weeks ago that I was kindly interviewed on Mary's blog, Mary Makes Dinner. Mary runs a lovely and delicious food blog from Austin, Texas (but I have learned she travels quite a bit!) featuring comfort food, healthy cooking, and ethnic cuisines.

Mary is a cook, writer, and culinary instructor with a rich background in food and adventure. Many worlds seem to collide in her kitchen, and her recipes seem to be inspired by such. Mary also teaches people how to make soap, scrubs, and natural skin care goodies, which you can see more of on The Natural Beauty Workshop. She is also an excellent photographer and I love glimpsing little pieces of her everyday life, in addition to recipes, over on her blog.

Isn't she just swell? I've asked Mary to share with us today some of her healthy eating tips. These tips are designed to make healthy eating a little more effortless. See the tips she's created just for us below:

Five Tips for Healthy Eating:

1. Submit to your cravings. One thing that makes eating healthy particularly challenging is mastering your desires. It's natural for your body and mind to crave. Rather than denying these instincts, try to find a healthy way to indulge them. If you can't get potato chips out of your head, go for something crunchy and salty, like roasted kale and sea salt. If it's fat you crave, treat yourself to a fresh avocado. A sweet tooth can be satisfied with fresh fruit or sweet root vegetables, like yams or beets. They key is to focus on satisfying a craving for a particular flavor or texture instead of a specific kind of food.

2. Keep things simple. While it's wonderful to dish up a really challenging dish every now and then, keeping your everyday meals easy and un-fussy will help keep you on track. I live off of rice bowls, burritos, sandwiches, and salads. Experiment with different seasoning techniques to mix things up. A few combinations I really love are: soy sauce, garlic, and ginger | chili pepper and lime juice | thyme, sage, and lemon.

3. Plan ahead. Make things easy for yourself by prepping veggies, grains, and proteins ahead of time. Chop veggies, rinse beans, marinate tofu, and cook rice or quinoa when you have some downtime. Then, when meal time comes, you can quickly satisfy your hunger with a simple, hearty meal by assembling the healthy components in your fridge.

4. Embrace routine. Breakfast and lunch are great opportunities for repetition. When you find something that you love, stick to it. Morning rituals, like sprouted raisin bread, organic yogurt, or green juice can help establish a healthy rhythm for your body. Lunch foods can be made in a large batch and eaten all week. (Think soups, chili, and salads.) Having your lunch ready to go makes it easier to avoid the lunchtime takeout trap.

5. Don't over-think it. We can sometimes feel pressured to keep up with the latest trends and fads. It's important to remember that there is no perfect diet. What works wonders for another person might just not work for you, and that's OK. If you don't like a certain veggie, don't force it. Instead, spend your energy finding healthy things that you actually like. Once you find it, eat it. It's as simple as that.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes for simple, everyday eating:

1. Marinated Tofu
2. Chipotle Sweet Potato and Spinach Tacos
3. Black Bean Soup
4. Yaki Onigiri
5. Red Curry Sweet Potato Soup
6. Bell Pepper Quinoa Salad

Thank you for stopping by today, Mary. I love your tips; they are ones I am trying to instill daily in my kitchen. Be sure to check out Mary's favorite simple recipes (those tasty pictures up above I am drooling over) and the rest of her site too. Those incredible recipes have no end.

Vegan Balsamic Quinoa Salad

I'm loving this quinoa craze that has been going around. I first learned about quinoa in college and I remember being mad that I hadn't learned of it sooner. It is so tasty and stocked full of protein (and other good things). I love using, and eating, quinoa and experimenting with it. Pairing it with all different kinds of flavors is fun. This is one of my favorite quinoa salads I have made. It is similar to a pasta salad I use to frequent, but honestly tastier and so much healthier. I've made it on two separate occasions, for a graduation party with my extended family, and for a summer party with friends. Both times it was very much enjoyed and quickly gobbled up.

Balsamic Quinoa Salad, makes a big ol' bowl full:

2 cups quinoa
2 quarts vegetable broth

1/2 a red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 a cucumber, peeled slightly and chopped
1 13.75 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 cup pepperoncinis, chopped
2 cups baby spinach

2 teaspoons garlic powder (or to taste)
2 teaspoons italian seasoning (or to taste)
ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Feta Cheese to top, optional

Directions: Bring 2 quarts vegetable broth and 2 cups quinoa to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, let simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover and check the quinoa's tenderness; you'll want it nice and tender. If still crunchy, let simmer longer. If it is fully cooked and still has some liquid remaining, drain the excess liquid in a fine strainer. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool. If you are impatient, or late to party like I was, you can rinse the quinoa under cold water. This will make the quinoa loose some of it's flavor from the vegetable broth, though (I stirred in some bouillon to get it back).

Directions(cont): As your quinoa cools, chop up all of your veggies and place them in a large bowl. Once the quinoa has cooled, add it to the chopped vegetables and stir to combine. Mix in the baby spinach as well. Then, for the dressing, add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, italian seasoning, and pepper. These measurements are approximate, and I always add a bit of each at a time and taste as I go. You may need to add more or less balsamic vinegar than what I suggested to get a good flavor. Chill in the refrigerator until serving but can be eaten right away. This is delicious topped with a sprinkle of feta cheese. When I serve this at parties, I like to set a little tub of feta cheese next to it, so those who want/eat cheese can top it with a bit of feta. It is just as tasty without cheese too!

Enjoy! And don't be surprised if it gets eaten rather quickly.

Herb Crusted Tofu with Mushrooms over Greens

So. . . I have this new love affair with mushrooms. Before I'd always been just like, eh, about them. To be honest, I can be a bit of a picky eater at times. I mean, I do love a whole array of flavors and I will try absolutely anything at least once. There is not a single vegetable or fruit I dislike. I think mostly it is more of a texture thing than anything. That is the thing that I hated the most about meat. Something about the texture of mushrooms has always thrown me off; it is almost a bit meaty and well, spongy. But I decided to give them a try again recently and I'm so glad I did. I guess I am over the texture thing (maybe) because they are so delicious! I feel like I have missed out on a whole array of mushroom related cuisines in my life and I must make up for it! So I've been putting them in everything I can think of. Here's a little recipe for a sort of salad I ate for dinner last week.

Herb Crusted Tofu with Mushrooms over Greens (adapted from a Revolt recipe: Herb Crusted Steak)
Makes 3 to 4 servings

One 12.3 oz package extra-firm Tofu
1/4 cup minced fresh garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 
kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 of a red onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Fresh mixed greens such as spinach, romaine lettuce, kale, etc.
Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to taste

Directions: Prep your tofu by removing as much moisture as possible and slice into thin pieces. Combine garlic, fresh herbs, salt and pepper, and olive olive together in a bowl. Lay out the tofu slices and coat each side thoroughly with the herb mixture, rubbing it in a bit. Put into a tupperware container and refrigerate overnight (for up to 24 hours).

Directions (cont): Slice up the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms (zucchini is delicious here too). Place the sliced vegetables in a pan with a few tablespoons olive olive and lightly grill over medium heat. In another (large) pan cook the prepared tofu over medium high heat. There should be enough olive oil coating the slices, but if the tofu starts to stick at all add a bit more oil to the pan. Grill on each side, flipping as needed, until slightly crispy and golden brown. Arrange a mix of fresh greens in a bowl and top with a drizzle of both extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss. Top the greens with a portion of the warm vegetables and some slices of the grilled tofu.

Enjoy your mushroom paradise.

Green Goddess Smoothie

I talk all the time about how great the food on Revolt is, and how wonderful all the new recipes every week are. Well now you can have a little taste of one of my favorites so far. This is a smoothie I have been enjoying once a day this week as a snack. I am completely smitten. I was already a fan of green smoothies, but had only ever tried spinach. Kale is even better, guys! It is not bitter in the slightest and blends so perfectly with other ingredients. I was a little nervous to try this smoothies, though, as I am not the hugest parsley fan. But I love it, and I bet you will too.

Green Goddess Smoothie, Serves 1-2:

1 cup Kale, stems removed and chopped
1 Granny Smith Apple, sliced
1 Ripe Banana, sliced
1/2 cup loosely packed Italian Parsley
2 cups Cold Water

Combine kale, apple, banana, parsley and half of the cold water in a blender. Blend until smooth. If needed, add more water and blend until smooth. For a slightly sweeter smoothie, try adding coconut milk or coconut water instead of plain water.

A perfect afternoon snack. Enjoy!