Chocolate Coconut Granola

This chocolate coconut granola is a real treat! It’s free of refined sugars and is made from wholesome, unprocessed ingredients. I personally love having this on top of some yogurt for a healthier dessert option. Try adding in some banana or strawberry slices too! Feel free to get creative with this recipe - for example, add walnuts or almonds in place of pumpkin seeds if that’s your preference. Also, to make it even more decadent, once it’s cooled, add in some chocolate chips!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups rolled oats

• 1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

• ⅓  cup pumpkin seeds

• ¼ cup of coconut oil

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• ¼ cup cacao powder (unsweetened)

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

• In a mixing bowl, combine oats, coconut, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to mix together.

• Over low heat, in a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil. Add in maple syrup, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Once combined, remove from heat.

• Add the chocolate mixture to the bowl with the oats. Stir to combine. Spread oat mixture onto a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and bake for 25 min.  Let cool.

Health Benefits of Coconut:

• They are an excellent source of healthy fats, which our body needs to support a healthy metabolism, brain health, hormone production, and vitamin absorption (for vitamins A, D, E, and K).

• Most of the fats in coconut are medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are used by your body to produce energy.

• It is an excellent source of manganese, which is essential for brain and nervous system functioning.

• It’s a good source of insoluble fiber, helping to regularize bowel movements.

• Just remember, coconut is high in fat and in calorie-dense, so we don’t need a ton of it in our everyday diet!

Sources and additional reading:

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coconut-nutrition#section

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coconut-meat#downsides

Curry Roasted Cauliflower with a Coconut Yogurt Sauce

The warming spices in curry powder pair perfectly with roast cauliflower. In this dish, the spices from the cauliflower are balanced out by the cooling coconut yogurt. This is a healthy, nutritionally-dense side dish that you will not be able to get enough of!

Ingredients:

(serves 3-4 as a side)

• 1 large head of cauliflower, broken into florets

• 2-3 tbsp avocado oil

• 1 ½ tsp curry powder

• 1 tsp cumin

• Just shy of ½  tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

For the coconut yogurt sauce:

• 4 ounces coconut yogurt (my preference is cocojune)

• ⅛  tsp curry powder

• ⅛  tsp garlic powder

• ⅛  tsp cumin

• Pinch of salt 

• Pinch of black pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fareinheit

• Whisk together avocado oil, curry powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Then coat the cauliflower florets in the spice mixture.

• Roast for about 25-30 minutes, or until tender and starting to brown.

• Combine all ingredients for the coconut yogurt spread. Then serve cauliflower on top of the yogurt or with a dollop of yogurt on top!

Health Benefits of Curry Powder:

• The turmeric in curry powder has powerful antioxidants and has been shown to reduce inflammation.

• The cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and cloves in curry powder aid in digestion and can provide relief for stomach aches.

• Many spices in curry powder have anticancer effects, including turmeric, cumin, and coriander.

• Coriander and cumin have been shown to have antifungal and antibacterial effects .

• Turmeric may significantly reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease

Sources and additional reading:

• https://www.benenden.co.uk/be-healthy/nutrition/spice-of-life-7-surprising-health-benefits-of-curry-powder/

• https://www.livestrong.com/article/347582-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-curry-powder/

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/curry-benefits#How-to-add-curry-powder-to-your-diet 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Date Balls

I love making treats that I can keep in the freezer and enjoy whenever I am craving something sweet, and these are no exception! You can feel free to make these your own by adding oats in place of or in combination with shredded coconut. You can use any nut butter you’d like in place of peanut butter. You can even sweeten this mixture with maple syrup or honey in place of dates! While most of us are not making regular trips to the grocery store at this time, with strict shelter-in-place regulations, we have to get creative in the kitchen and use the ingredients we have on hand!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded coconut

• ¾ cups of Medjool dates, pitted

• ½ cup of creamy, all-natural peanut butter (unsalted)

• 2 tbsp ground flax seeds

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips

• 2 tsp coconut oil

Directions:

• Place dates in a food processor and pulse until broken down

• Add in peanut butter, shredded coconut, ground flax, and salt. Pulse until combined.

• Scoop out the dough and roll into balls. Place in freezer for 15 minutes.

• Melt chocolate with coconut oil either in the microwave or on the stove top. Once melted, dip each peanut butter ball in chocolate.

• Freeze in an air tight container.

Optional: add the chocolate chips into the dough with a spatula (after all other ingredients are combined) if you’d rather have chocolate chips instead of dipped chocolate peanut butter balls. 

Banana Walnut Granola

• 2 cups rolled oats

• ¾ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

• ¾ cup coconut flakes

• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

• 2 tbsp ground flax seed

• 1 ripe banana

• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted and cooled

• 1 ½ tsp vanilla

• ¼ tsp salt 

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, stir together oats, walnuts, coconut flakes, cinnamon, salt, and flaxseed.

3. In a separate bowl, mash the banana. Add coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla and whisk until combined.

4. Add banana mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

5. Pour onto prepared baking sheet and press evenly in a single (thin) layer 

6. Bake 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning. Remove from oven and let cool.

Sweet Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

This is another great way to use leftover quinoa. This wholesome, high fiber and protein breakfast will truly keep you full and satisfied all morning long!

Ingredients:

(serves 1)

• I cup cooked quinoa

• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk

• ½ banana, sliced

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• 2 tbsp toasted pecan pieces

• 2 tbsp toasted shredded coconut

• Small handful of blueberries

Directions

• Add cooked quinoa, almond milk, cinnamon, and banana slices to a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for about 5-10 minutes or until quinoa is warmed through and has absorbed the almond milk. Add more almond milk if needed.

• Place into a breakfast bowl, top with pecans, shredded coconut, and blueberries and serve

Alternatively (and if you have the time), take uncooked quinoa and cook it according to package cooking directions, with almond milk as the liquid.

Feel free to get creative with this recipe! Top with sliced apple, add in maple syrup or honey, chia or hemp seeds, pomegranate seeds and figs… you name it!