Lemony Coconut Cookie Dough Balls

It's summer time, and it's time to turn off that oven and cool down with some cookie dough balls. These lemony "flavour bombs" marry health and decadence...and the best part? They are nourishing, energizing and scrumptious (without cramping your style with processed sugar, dairy, and gluten).

 

Serving size:

This recipe makes approximately 20–ish balls.

Ingredients:

2 cups almonds and/or cashews, or 2 cups almond/cashew pulp (see Chaga Chocolate Milk recipe)

12–15 dates, pitted

3 cups Truly Detox Tea, chilled (or your favourite minty herbal tea blend)

5–6 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 tsp vanilla powder

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes and/or hemp seeds

pinches of pink salt to taste

the juice and zest of 1–2 lemons

Preparation: 

To make 3 cups of Truly Detox Tea, add 3 tablespoons of the Truly Detox Tea blend into a large tea ball or tea strainer and add it to a pot of 3 cups boiling water. 

Let it steep for at least 30 minutes and remove the tea leaves. 

If you do not have a tea strainer, use the edge of a pot lid to trap the leaves in the pot (while pouring the liquid into a bowl).

Divide the tea into equal parts and into two bowls and place the whole almonds and cashews (or pulp) in one bowl, and the dates in the other bowl. Let soak for 30 - 45 minutes to soften.

Directions:

Place the dates (with tea), vanilla powder, pinches of salt, and the juice of 1–2 lemon/s into a blender and mix into a paste. 

Blend in the almonds and cashews (with tea), the coconut oil and the coconut flour, to thicken up the mixture.

Using your hands, roll the mixture into small balls and continue to roll them in a small bowl full of coconut flakes and hemp seeds, until they are evenly coated. 

Sprinkle lemon zest on the tops of the balls. You may also want to experiment rolling them in cocoa nibs, goji berries and even edible flowers. 

Store them in a sealed container in the freezer until ready to serve.

Improvisations:

These energy balls are a great base for playing around with and adding other super foods to. You may also want to try adding either maca, cinnamon, cacao, lucuma powder, goji berries or our new blueberry powder! The possibilities are endless.

Spicy Kale Nectarine Salad

This recipe includes all your favourite tastes in one simple salad – sweet, spicy, savoury and salty. With massaged kale and a creamy garlic, tahini dressing, topped with luscious juicy nectarines, and salted caramel walnuts... it's guaranteed to win over your heart, and taste buds. Show off your culinary skills at the next BBQ with this summer salad. Yum!

Ingredients for Salad:

2 heads of kale, washed

1/4 of a red onion, minced

2–3 nectarines, sliced

2 handfuls of salted caramel walnuts

Ingredients for Dressing:

1 cup chopped zucchini

3 tbsp of tahini (and 1 additional tbsp for garnish)

1 small clove of garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1–2 small chili peppers

1 tsp of coconut aminos or Bragg's soy sauce

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 avocado

1 cup water

pinches of pink Himalayan salt

Directions:

Massage your washed kale, until it turns soft and a rich green colour. Chop the kale finely and place in a large salad bowl. Add the minced red onions. 

In a food processor or blender, blend all the ingredients listed for the dressing, except for the avocado and chili pepper. A good thing to keep in mind when using fresh chili, is to add a little bit of the pepper at a time, to make sure that the dressing is not overpowered with spice. Also, adding the avocado last, prevents your dressing from turning into a mousse. Finish up the dressing by adding in the chili pepper to your taste, as well as the avocado. Combine the dressing with the kale and mix thoroughly. Top with nectarines and salted caramel walnuts. Plate and drizzle the additional tahini.

Improvisations:

Salad dressings can be a fun way to explore your intuitive cravings. Some delicious additions for this dressing are sun dried tomatoes, turmeric, fresh chives, fresh tomato, fresh basil, lemon and chia seeds.

Creamy Black Bean Shiitake Soup

What is the result of steeping chaga, shitake, coconut, lentils and blacks beans in a big pot of hot water? A dance party classic – in your mouth! Join the party with this simple soup recipe –featuring rosemary, turmeric, cumin, tomato and jalapeno. With savoury and aromatic mingling ingredients, in a rich tonic mushroom bean broth, this soup will satisfy the soul...and your taste buds!

Serves:

6–8 people

Ingredients:

6 cups brewed chaga tea or 6 cups water

2 cups shitake mushroom broth

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

10 dried shitake mushrooms, reconstituted and thinly sliced

1 cup black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup lentils

1 sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped finely

4 tomatoes, diced

1 head of broccoli, cut into pieces

1 yellow onion, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced and seeded

1 tsp tumeric

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp pink salt

1 tbsp coconut oil

Preparation:

Shiitake Broth:

To make shitake broth, place 10 dried shitake mushrooms in 2 cups water, and let sit for 30 – 45 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, cut them into slices, and set aside.

Chaga tea:

To make chaga tea add 2 heaping tablespoons of chaga chunks to a pot, add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Strain the chaga chunks (and save them to re-steep for tea later).

Directions:

Fill a large pot (or crock pot) with 6 cups brewed chaga tea.

Add the black beans and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer.

In the meantime, add the coconut oil to a pan at medium heat.

Add the shiitake mushrooms and onions and saute for 3–5 minutes.

Add the turmeric, cumin, rosemary, jalapeno and pink salt, and saute for another 5 minutes.

Next add the broccoli, diced tomatoes and shitake broth, stir and saute for 2–3 minutes before removing the pan from the heat source.

Add your saucy vegetable mixture, in addition to 2 cups coconut milk to your pot of bean broth, and cook over medium low for 30 – 45 minutes (or longer if using a crock pot.)

Once everything is soft and ready to eat, serve and garnish with fresh rosemary and enjoy!  

"Bacon" Kale Coconut Wraps

With gluten-free coconut wraps filled with eggplant bacon, dressed kale, tomato and avocado, you can't go wrong!

Serving Size:

Makes 4 wraps.

Ingredients:

1 package of coconut Pure Wraps (or 4 washed collard leaves)

6–8 slices of eggplant bacon, crushed into bits (see Eggplant Bacon recipe)

1 small head of kale, finely chopped

1 small tomato, cut into thin slices

1 avocado, cut into thin slices

2 tsp olive oil

pinches of salt to taste

Directions:

Massage the finely chopped kale in a large bowl with olive oil and pinches of salt.

Massage for up to 5 minutes or until the kale turns a deep green colour.

Fill your coconut wraps (or collard leaves) with the kale, slices of tomato, avocado and crushed “bacon” bits and fold like a burrito.   

Eggplant "Bacon"

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This savoury snack is smokey, crispy and down right addictive. It can be enjoyed on its own as a salty treat, or can be crumbled over salads, served with breakfast, or added to sandwiches and wraps. Impress your guests with this heart healthy vegan bacon.

Serving Size:

Makes about 15 – 20 strips.

Equipment needed:

a dehydrator.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, peeled

2–3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp beet root powder (optional for colour)

2 tbsp coconut marinade or Bragg's soy sauce

1 tsp smoked paprika

pinches of salt 

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp agave

2 tbsp water

Directions:

Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, cut the peeled eggplant into thin slices and place in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, beet root powder, coconut marinade, smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, agave and water.

Whisk until the ingredients become a smooth paste.

Pour the mixture over the eggplant and massage it in until it is fully coated in the sauce.

Lay the strips flat on dehydrator sheets, and dehydrate for at least 10 hours or until crispy.

I like to dehydrate the eggplant around 115 degrees F to keep all the beneficial nutrients in tact. 

Note:

If you do not have a dehydrator, you can also fry the eggplant strips in a pan until crispy.

If frying, I would use coconut oil instead in the pan before adding the marinated eggplant slices. 

Chaga Chocolate Milk

Nothing beats the taste of fresh home made nut milk. It's made with a sweet vanilla chaga base, swirled with creamy cashews, silky almonds, juicy medjool dates and dark chocolate. Containing beneficial vitamins like calcium, iron and other minerals; this preservative free milk will nourish the body and delight all the senses.

 

Equipment needed:

A blender and a nut milk bag.

Ingredients:

2 cups almonds and/or cashews (soaked in water for 4 hours)

4–5 medjool dates, pitted (and soaked in water for 1 hour)

5 cups brewed chaga tea, chilled

2 tbsp raw cacao powder

1 tsp vanilla bean powder

1 tbsp goji berries (optional)

Preparation:

To make chaga tea add 2 heaping tablespoons of chaga chunks to a pot, then add 5 cups of water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to one hour. Let it cool for 2–3 hours (or ideally overnight.) Strain chaga chunks.

Directions:

Blend all the ingredients listed and strain through a nut milk bag, using a large bowl to catch the drippings.Transfer the milk into a glass jug or mason jar and serve chilled.

Save the almond/cashew pulp to add to smoothies, muffins, cookies or raw desserts.