by Kami | Apr 15, 2015 | Desserts, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Vegan
It was a sad, sad day when I discovered ice cream triggered my migraines. I grew up where 3 scoops of ice cream after dinner was as reliable as the sun setting. A life without ice cream seemed pretty grim. But alas, I’m not a quitter. I love food and dessert way too much to forever say farewell to one of my most favorite treats. Ice cream sandwiches. These homemade ice cream sandwiches are sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and delicious-full. Sit back, kick up your feet, and indulge. There are a couple surprising ingredients in these ice cream sandwiches. Ready? Garbanzo beans in the cookies and frozen bananas in the ice cream. Don’t judge before you try them. Garbanzo beans have a very mild flavor and create a chewy, soft base for my Chocolate Cookies, Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies. I’m beyond addicted. My husband knows to quickly grab a couple freshly baked because I feel no remorse for engulfing the entire batch. My latest record: 2 dozen in 24 hours. And for the ice cream… who knew frozen bananas created smooth, creamy vanilla-like ice cream? In order to make these delightful, splendid homemade ice cream sandwiches, you’ll need a quality blender. Myself? I’m a VitaMix woman. It’s an exquisite machine. It has a tamper that helps break up air pockets and push contents down making blending super easy. I use it every. single. day. However, I don’t want to discriminate. There are lots of Ninja and BlendTec fans out there too. Whichever way you choose… reward yourself by making...
by Kami | Mar 8, 2015 | Appetizers, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Snacks (Kid AND Inner-Kid friendly), Vegan
I forget it’s not normal for 3 year olds to love things like edamame and hummus. My daughter was pretending to eat with my brother-in-law and when he asked what she was eating, she shouted ‘hummus!’ Nothing puts a bigger smile on my face than creating healthy recipes craved by my family. Healthy eating can be fulfilling, satisfying, and indulging. Trust me… I love food and eating way too much to torture myself with flavorless eats. Also, go ahead and snack! If you’re hungry (legitimately hungry not bored), eat away! I eat frequently throughout the day and never waste time counting calories because I choose to eat nutrition packed options like this Edamame Hummus. Deliciously flavored ground up garbanzo beans, otherwise known as hummus, is becoming more and more popular. It’s great with veggies and chips or even spread on sandwiches instead of mayo. A main ingredient for traditional hummus is tahini. It’s ground sesame seeds with consistency of peanut butter and has a similar nutty taste. I’m not a huge fan of the flavor so I make my hummus without it. I make my Basic Hummus without tahini also. Since we’re talking about ingredients, let’s talk about my obsession with garbanzo beans! They are mild in flavor, but add rockin’ nutrients and great texture. Word of caution… garbanzo beans are addicting in my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies or my Flourless Chocolate Cookies. You’ll actually be encouraging your kids to sneak one of these cookies before dinner. Anyway, stock up on garbanzo beans. You’ll want extra on hand after you try these recipes. Crunchy and creamy...
by Kami | Dec 13, 2013 | Desserts, Gluten-Free, Recipes
Who says a cookie can’t be crumbly, soft, sweet, and healthy? I devoured these just as quickly as my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites. I’ve mentioned before in my Flourless Sugar Cookie recipe just how unbelievable pureed garbanzo beans are in cookies. Their texture, mild flavor, and rockin’ nutrition facts give a great foundation for soft, moist, and finger-lickin-good cookies. I have a secret. Well, it’s more like a weird fact which usually results in gasps, pity, and devastation on my behalf . I don’t like chocolate. I’m just not a huge fan of the flavor… well, until I found this cocoa powder. It’s creamy, rich, and delectable even for a non-chocolate lover like myself. I like controlling the chocolatey-ness of my baking (since I don’t want it too rich), and this cocoa powder adds the perfect flavor even with a smaller amount. You, of course, can add more if you would like. Print Flourless Chocolate Cookies Ingredients 1/2 cup honey or organic agave 4 tsp pure vanilla extract 2 15 oz cans of organic garbanzo beans 2 tsp baking powder 3 to 4 Tbs organic cocoa powder depending on how chocolatey you want it! 1 cup natural or freshly ground peanut butter Instructions Preheat oven to 375°F. In a food processor or Vitamix blender, add honey, vanilla, garbanzo beans, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Blend for about 2 minutes until smooth. Add peanut butter and blend again until mixed well. The mixture will be very thick and sticky. With wet hands, form into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place onto baking sheet. Press down slightly. Bake...
by Kami | Dec 12, 2013 | Desserts, Gluten-Free, Healthy Holiday Ideas, Recipes
It’s not Christmas without sugar cookies. Several of you have a sensitivity to gluten. That doesn’t mean you need to miss out on chewy, soft, and crumbly cookies! I’ve tried, tested, and failed a few times, but I finally created the perfect flourless sugar cookie recipe. The key and secret ingredient are garbanzo beans! I’m OBSESSED with using garbanzo beans in my cookies because they’re mild in flavor, have a great binding quality (so they don’t completely crumble apart), add fiber and protein, keep cookies moist, and perfect for gluten-free cookies! They also eliminate the need for xanthum gum, flaxseed, or other gluten substitutes. Love them! It took me a few experimental failures before I figured out less ingredients is MORE with these sugar cookies. I once again put them to the test with my husband (and even his brother this time too). They were a hit! My brother-in-law thought they were soft and chewy (I’m not sure whether or not he meant that as a plus or negative), BUT he quickly ate another one. So… I’m feeling pretty confident it was a good thing. Print Gluten-free Sugar Cookies Ingredients 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup honey or organic agave 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed well 2 tsp baking powder 2 cups oat flour or ground oats possibly up to 1 additional cup 1/2 cup sugar Instructions Preheat oven to 375 F. In a Vitamix blender, add vanilla, honey/agave, garbanzo beans, and baking powder. Blend until smooth. Transfer blender contents to medium-sized bowl. Add oat flour and sugar. Stir well. If...
by Kami | Oct 30, 2013 | Desserts, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Vegan
I originally shared this addicting recipe at What’s Cooking with Ruthie. I’m addicted to these cookies. I probably should enlist in some type of recovery program because it’s becoming a problem. I can’t live without them! I make two dozen of these every Sunday and by Monday afternoon they’re gone. AND let’s just say I’m not freely sharing them. I first fell in love with my flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites. Then my addiction just snowballed out of control when I created these Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies! Let me share a little secret with you… come closer. A LITTLE closer. These cookies are not only flourless, but they are also sugar-free and vegan (no milk or eggs). They are full of protein and fiber and are OH so tasty. A healthy AND tasty cookie? Trust me, my friends. I wouldn’t lead you astray. Print Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients 1/2 cup honey or agave 4 tsp pure vanilla extract 2 tsp baking powder 2 15 oz cans chickpeas or garbanzo beans, rinsed well 1 cup natural or freshly ground CHUNKY peanut butter Instructions Preheat oven to 375°F. In a food processor or blender, add honey, vanilla, baking powder, and garbanzo beans. Blend for about 2 minutes until smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and top and process again until they’re combined. Move contents to a medium-sized bowl. Stir in chunky peanut butter. Mix well. The mixture will be very thick and sticky. With wet hands, form into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place onto baking sheet. Press down slightly with a fork making a crisscrossed pattern....
