when in doubt... pancakes.

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alex holding the backdrop with her nose

life has been good. i've been successful at my new school and i've been been continuing my project with vsco in my spare time. however, spring break is approaching, and with that comes exams. i don't know if i can handle thinking about it on top of all of the work i have already. i just want to let out the biggest sigh. 

also, you know what's the most terrifying moment? when you realize that a quiz/test is tomorrow rather than the day after and you have 30 words from Macbeth to memorize. yeah, that's tough. 

moving on...

i realized i haven't posted a recipe in awhile... so i'm going to change that. today i share with you my favorite pancakes recipe. and, it's vegan. woooooop woop!

i mean, look at that syrup pour (thanks caoimhe). these pancakes are SO INCREDIBLY FLUFFY that i cannot fathom it. 

#ThanksAlexForHoldingTheBackdrop / #ThanksCaoimheForPouringTheSyrup

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ingredients

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons almond milk

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking power

a pinch of baking soda

01/ measure milk + whisk with vinegar until foamy (to imitate buttermilk). set aside.

02/ whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl

03/ after 5 minutes, gently stir in "buttermilk" 

04/ if too thin, add another tablespoon of flour. if too thick, add another tablespoon of milk or maple syrup.

05/ heat a large pan on medium with canola spray or butter (if not vegan, obviously.) 

06/ use a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop (like me!) to pour the batter onto the pan

07/ feel free to add bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips, cacao nibs, the WORKS!!! it all works. 

08/ eat with more maple syrup of course

dark chocolate snickerdoodles

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today, i share a post-holiday treat, my favorite recipe for snickerdoodles (stuffed with dark chocolate of course), on thouswell! 

check it out here!

goldy locks

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it's that time of year here in new york city. cold. windy. bitter. horrid. treacherous. barbaric... i mean cold. i know that when the scarves come out, so does the porridge. and i love it. 

so today, i'm going to give you some porridge inspiration; some of my favorite recipes from my favorite blogs and photographs of my own. 

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1/ raw buckwheat porridge

luise and david from green kitchen stories share this wonderful raw buckwheat porridge recipe. while it is not a traditional, warm porridge,  it's just as tasty. i would recommend this one if you're in a hurry in the morning (as you can easily make it the night before). personally, i make this recipe pretty often– i love the nutty taste of raw buckwheat and the sticky-sweet consistency. 

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2/ pearl barley porridge with spice-poached pears

a completely new and unique take on the standard porridge... barley and poached pears??? who would've thought to pair (hehe) the two? i think that it's brilliant to be honest. also can we take a moment to appreciate that thick coconut milk on top? yeah. this kind of reminds me of my own porridge recipe...

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3/ overnight bircher müsli 

and from one of the most well-photographed blogs on the entirety of the internet: "super delicious overnight bircher muesli" from what should i eat for breakfast today.  generally, bircher is very simple, combining yogurt, oats, grated apple, and some (almond) milk. exotic toppings and flavors are optional, but totally recommended. if you want a simple, classic bircher recipe, this is it.

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4/ izzy's oats

lastly but not leastly (.......?!!?), i'll share my own personal recipe that i make on a every-other-day-to-day basis. it's really simple, but adaptable. it never seems to fail me.

1/2 cup oats

1 ripe banana

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tbs maple syrup

01/ in a blender (i use a small nutribullet), blend oats until ground into a somewhat fine flour

02/ in a small bowl, mash banana until only slightly chunky

03/ in a small saucepan on medium-high heat, combine ground oats, banana, almond milk, and maple syrup. if the consistency is too thick, add more almond milk or water. stir until everything is fully combined. taste just to make sure everything is on point

04/ serve in a bowl, top with fresh fruit (maybe more bananas), nut butter, seeds, and/or dried berries. enjoy.

breakfasts like these are especially great on test days (which is every day). just saying.

have a great midweek everyone!

"oui oui i'm orange french toast"

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we all need a little french toast in our lives. a lot of you instagrammers have been asking for this recipe for a while now... so i obliged.

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do you know why french toast deserves to be in all of our lives? because it's just one of those meals that fills your heart with the most absolute joy.

a.k.a. french toast is queen.

because it's fall season, (i didn't do another pumpkin-flavored thing, i promise), i incorporated the 2 fruits that we have in most abundance in our home at the moment: oranges and pomegranates. 

first of all, pomegranates don't really need to be modified or blenderized (it's a word) in any way. i think of them as little ruby jewels. enough said– they just got sprinkled on the top for both the beauty-aspect and flavor-bomb-aspect of the dish.  

i didn't want to just throw the orange slices on top (although you can), but get the hint of orange in the toast. orange zest. problem solved.

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so here we are. me, you, and the french toast that you definitely need to make. also, it's vegan, and takes around 7 minutes to make and 3 minutes to eat. that's how i can make it almost every morning if i have 10-ish minutes to spare. 

this recipe has almost everything you need, and it makes just enough for just you. no sharing!

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move aside pancakes, french toast is here. 

for the french toast:

3 pieces of whole wheat bread (i used cinnamon-raisin)

1/3c almond milk

1 tbs maple syrup

1/4 tsp cinnamon

orange zest

(optional) 1 tbs spelt flour

pomegranate seeds for garnish

for the yogurt:
1 package (14oz) firm tofu

2 tbs maple syrup

2 tbs almond milk
 

01/ drain water from tofu, and cube it

02/ in a blender, blend cubed tofu, maple syrup, and almond milk until completely smooth

03/ (if too thick, add more almond milk)

04/ in a small bowl, whisk together almond milk, orange zest, maple syrup, cinnamon, (and optional spelt flour which add thickness)

05/ heat a frying pan at med-high until hot – spray with canola oil

06/ as quickly as possible, dunk each side of the bread in the milk mixture

07/ place soaked bread on heated pan (there should be a satisfying sizzle happening here)

08/ once each side is crispy and brown, flip over

09/ when all the toasts are perfectly golden, stack the toasts, and drizzle with the yogurt and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds

really rad pumpkin donuts + an announcement

as you all may or may not know, i am starting a column on kevin's blog, thou swell. every month, i'm going to post a recipe of mine and talk a little bit about why i chose it, (and quite possibly, why it's so good)... 

this month, i am sharing a really rad pumpkin donut recipe with a sweet glaze. 

to check out my post, and to get the recipe, head on over to thouswell!

FIFTEEN! + pumpkin muffins

it's kind of hard for me to believe that i'm turning fifteen today.

the big 1-5– the year of the quinceanera (that i am not having).

i mean, it's just another year that i've been alive, in a quite literal sense. 

about 6 hours into fifteen-dom i realize that being fifteen is just like being fourteen. it's not like you're turning thirteen, your first "teen" year; or eighteen, your last "teen" year; and you're not celebrating your sweet sixteen, either. so i ask, what is it then?

fifteen. just fifteen. 

so instead of saying fourteen you say fifteen. that's basically it. you say you're fifteen and that you're a freshman in high school. that's all that you think has changed.

physically.

i don't feel different, i don't look different, i don't sound different, i don't know any different, but i know that i have changed, and will continue to change. and yes, that is both a good thing and a bad thing.

good in the sense that i am becoming more knowledgable, and that there will be more opportunities for me.

bad in the sense that i am actually getting older; physically and mentally, and that i will have to hold more responsibility on my shoulders. but there's no stopping it. there's no stopping any of it. and i have to deal with it.

so to this i say, happy birthday, me.

may this sixteenth year of existence bring you good things.

have a wonderful friday, everyone.

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(izzy's birthday) pumpkin muffins

makes 12

1.5c spelt flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp chinese five spice

1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground anise

1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree

1/2c plain greek yogurt (i used 0%)

1 flax egg or egg

3/4c coconut sugar

optional: 1/4c pumpkin seeds + turbinado sugar

01/ preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 12 muffin tin with canola oil

02/ in a medium bowl, sift spelt flour and combine with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, five spice, nutmeg, and anise

03/ in a separate, larger bowl, combine pumpkin puree, yogurt, egg, and coconut sugar. make sure it is thoroughly mixed

04/ pour dry ingredients into the wet ingredients

05/ with a spatula, carefully fold ingredients together until just combined. make sure not to over-mix because then the muffins will be dense!

06/ using a ice cream scooper or large spoon, scoop the muffin mixture into individual muffin tins

07/ sprinkle each one with a pinch of pumpkin seeds, and a generous smidgen of turbinado sugar

08/ bake for 22-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when entered in the center of the muffin

09/ let cool, then gobble down

buckwheat porridge for design*sponge

a video? but izzy, you never make videos!

i actually do, sometimes... and this is why:

for the past couple of weeks, i've been writing, shooting, and taste-testing for this marvelous project i did with the amazing women behind design*sponge.

i was not only astonished to get an email from such a well-known blog, but to be asked to create a recipe video for their friday column!

how awesome is that?

from 1 to 10, i give it an 11.

as the final result, i created a warm, ginger buckwheat porridge, topped with a poached pear, and a thickened coconut milk. to see how i made it, watch the video above.

to see the recipe, visit my feature on their blog.

have a wonderful weekend everyone

simple brownie bites for simple people

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i'm not really a simple person, actually.

i'm more... eclectic? i don't know. hip? no.

hipster? yeaaaa-no.

but i like these brownies.

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i've been really into fresh ginger lately; fresh ginger porridge, fresh ginger soba, fresh ginger tea... it's just so, so, so good. GINGER PEOPLE. i swear it will be the new kale in a couple of months.

fads, for goodness sake.

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but let's quit talking about me for a second here. i'm writing right now to tell you about these brownies. these are actually SO GOOD and they use 3 ingredients, and take about 3.14159265359 minutes to make. that's right. (i timed it exactly).

i know i say this about the majority of my desserts, but seriously. let's get real. 3.14159265359 minutes *coughcough* nerd pi-jokes *cough*, 3 ingredients. that's pretty radical. insert nerd-surfer face here. (please tell me you get it..."radical")

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other than those two little things, these brownies are super duper versatile. you can add whatever spices you'd like. now that i'm thinking of it, i should've added some cayenne! sweet/spicy = my kind of party.

3 ingredient raw brownie bites (for simple people)

makes 6 bites

loosely adapted from laura

3/4 cup raw buckwheat groats

1-1/3 cup pitted dates (preferably medjool)

1/4 cup cacao powder

pinch of salt

(optional) 2 tsp vietnamese cinnamon

01. in a food processor, blend buckwheat until a flour forms. (little chunks here and there are a-okay)

02. add pitted dates, cacao powder, salt, and cinnamon and process until a large ball forms

03. once everything is thoroughly combined, roll out "brownie dough" using a damp rolling pin until about 1 to 1.5" thick

04. cut the dough into 6 even bite-sized pieces of brownie

05. press in more buckwheat for extra crunch, or even emmy's cacao coconut super cereal like i did. (emmy's organics is awesomeness)

a neapolitan + squarebar review

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a couple of weeks ago, the lovely sarah asked me to do a product review. so today, i am going to talk about squarebar. 

squarebar sources only organic and non-GMO ingredients for their bars. all of their scrumptious protein bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, peanut-free, corn-free, and vegan of course. 

squarebar sources only organic and non-GMO ingredients for their bars. all of their scrumptious protein bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, peanut-free, corn-free, and vegan of course. 

"We source only the most nutrient-dense organic and non-gmo foods, and work directly with farmers to ensure an ethical path from crop to bar.

That way the most important ingredient of all [you] can feel good about the food you eat."

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they make their bars with REAL ingredients, none of that bad stuff. 

Organic Coconut Nectar

Whole Grain Organic Rice Protein

and Organic Coconut Oil

are on their minimal list of ingredients.

squarebar offers three flavors: cocoa almond, cocoa crunch, and cocoa coconut. all of them having a irresistible chocolate coating. and to be completely honest, i can't choose my favorite.

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the first bar i tried was the cocoa crunch (which is pictured on my "ice cream" parfait above). at first bite, you get the great kick of chocolate. and everyone loves chocolate, especially when it's filled with 12g of plant-based protein, and is completely healthy for you.

next, the cocoa coconut bar. i ended up eating it with some chopped berries and greek yogurt for breakfast the other morning, and all i can say is that it was the perfect coconut-y, tropical compliment. you can see the shreds of coconut inside the bar! 

lastly, i had the cocoa almond. okay, maybe i can admit that this one was my favorite. the flavor is outstanding. hints of cinnamon, bites of chocolate, and of course, the crunch of pieces of almonds. yum. it's like a wholesome almond butter cup packed into a little bar.

what i love best about these bars, is that they have no added "flavorings" or "additives". they use simple ingredients, and that's what makes them good. squarebar, i give you a 10/10.

if any of you are interested in purchasing these bars (and i highly recommend that you do), go to squarebar.com, select your bars, and in the checkout, enter the code 'minimalmeals' for 20% off your order + free shipping! 

for my fellow aussies and brits, or anyone else outside of the U.S., squarebars are available on iherb.com.

and to everyone, i wasn't going to leave you hanging without this recipe, was i?

neapolitan ice cream sundae

4 frozen bananas (or more)

1/2 cup strawberries

1 tbs cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

01. in a food processor or high-speed blender, blend 4 frozen bananas until an "ice cream" is formed, and the mixture is completely smooth

02. split the "ice cream" into 3 equal parts. leave one part in the food processor, and split the last two parts in separate small bowls, and put back in the freezer

03. with the remaining third in the processor, blend with vanilla. put in small bowl and into freezer

04. take one plain ice cream bowl out of freezer, put ice cream into the blender, and blend with cocoa powder. put back into freezer

05. take last plain ice cream bowl out of the freezer, put ice cream into the blender, and blend with strawberries

06. in a tall glass, or large bowl, compile all of the ice creams, and top with a chopped cocoa crunch square bar

07. enjoy

when things go wrong, laugh it out

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yesterday morning, i wanted to make a cake. but not just any cake, a carrot cake. 

i took on the challenge of creating a relatively "raw" carrot cake. 

no, i wasn't eating raw batter, but rather vegetables and delicious stuff.

VEGETABLES YOU SAY?

yes.

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but things went wrong. terribly wrong. and i think this is the first time i've ever come across something so unbelievably unpleasant looking. but i was okay with it, because it tasted AWESOME. 

i first started by letting the finished cake chill in a springform pan about 12" in diameter. but when i took it out the next morning, it was about 1/4" thick. i didn't want a mere brownie, here. 

then, because of its extreme moistness and consistency, i realized i could "form" it into a three-tiered cake. but i didn't have a springform pan for that. who would?

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naturally, i hand-formed the layers. lopsided. uneven. not in the least symmetrical. it just... i just... tried. so i layered them with this (genius) caramel-maple frosting i made, and i figured i could drip sauce down the sides.

done. but awful. the poor little cake had started to soak up the glaze that had pooled around the bottom.

great.

i tried to get rid of glaze as best i could to reshoot it. i just kind of shimmied the layers together into ONE cake. meh, at least it looked better.

glaze again. meh.

the cut. meh. it sunk into itself. meh.

you can see above what the so-called "slices" of cake looked like – seeming like huge handfuls of carrot cake.

but you know what i did about it? i laughed. i laughed because it was my first creation that kind of fell apart, and that i was perfectly okay with it.

i spent quite a bit of time just shooting and creating this post just to tell you that mistakes are okay. and that this cake pretty much looked awful but tasted great.

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my friends, mistakes are okay. they probably will end up tasting delicious.

so, if you'd like this recipe for your own failure, i'm pleased to hand it over.

relatively raw carrot cake

loosely adapted from this recipe

cake:

1-3/4c pitted dates (soaked for 15min)

2 medium apples

1/4c date water

1 tbs lemon juice

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tbs cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 lb carrots (about 4-5 medium) peeled + shredded

3/4c coconut flour

glaze:

1-1/3c coconut sugar

splash of almond milk

01. in a food processor, combine and process dates, apples, date soaking water, lemon juice, and vanilla. process until smooth (with little chunks)

02. add nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and process again

03. in a large bowl, gently mix together food processor mixture and shredded carrots until combined

04. sift in coconut flour. mix. if the batter is not sweet enough, feel free to add a couple tablespoons of coconut sugar

05. evenly press batter into a small springform / container and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight

06. in a small blender (or food processor) grind coconut sugar until it turns into a very fine powder

07. move the coconut powdered sugar to a large bowl, and pour a small splash (about 1 tbs) of almond milk  

08. stir (adding enough milk) until you reach a desired consistency

09. store in fridge until cake is ready

10. for the cake, you can form it into basically any shape you want... so do what i did, or don't do what i did! 

11. pour spoonfuls of the glaze over the top for optimum awesomeness and maple-y taste

"raw" + vegan snickers bars

a video, a few pictures, a few words here and there, and the recipe. 

that's all that is needed for this post.

let's keep it minimal.

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"raw", vegan, minimal snickers

makes 10 bars

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crust:

1.5c rolled oats

15 dates

3 tbs almond milk

1 tbs brown rice syrup

caramel:

2c dates (lightly packed)

1/4-1/2c almond milk 

chocolate:

6oz dark chocolate

01. in a food processor, blend all crust ingredients. press in one even layer into a tart pan

02. refrigerate

03. process all caramel ingredients. spread evenly over "crust"

04. refrigerate

05. melt 6oz of chocolate (i used coconut-filled) in a double-broiler over low heat. pour over "crust" and "caramel"

06. refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or freeze for 1 hour.

07. cut. enjoy.

a great weekend + a raw tart

how has your weekend been? mine's been pretty great if you ask me. 

it's been sunny. my life has been busy, but who cares? i get to eat this tart.

and let me tell you, tarts are good. and this one… is a raw raspberry + pistachio coconut cream tart-pie. with an awesome crust. huzzah!

i know you all just want the recipe, so i'll stop blabbering now. enjoy the photographs!

raw raspberry + pistachio tart

serves 8

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crust:

2/3 cup pumpkin seeds / pepitas

scant 1/3 cup ground flax seeds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 tsp sea salt

1.5 cup dates, soaked for 10min + chopped

1 tbs fresh grated ginger

filling:

2 cans full fat coconut milk (canned)

2 tbs coconut sugar

raspberries

chopped pistachios

agave

the day before:

01. place both cans of coconut milk in the refrigerator

crust:

01. in warm water, soak dates for at least 10 minutes

02. using a food processor, process pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, shredded coconut, and sea salt until finely ground

03. drain dates, and chop into small pieces. place dates and grated ginger into the seed and coconut “flour"

04. process until dates combine with “flour” and form a sticky ball

05. in a tart pan, press the dough crust evenly onto the bottom and sides of the pan. (wet hands before doing this so that the dough doesn’t stick)

06. place a sheet of plastic wrap over the crust and pan and set in the freezer for at least 30 minutes

filling:

01. gently take coconut milk out of the freezer and turn upside-down 

02. open the cans, and carefully pour out the coconut water that is on the top

03. scoop out the coconut cream that is left at the bottom of the cans into a large bowl

04. using an upright or hand mixer, whip coconut cream and coconut sugar together until the cream reaches soft peaks

together:

01. take the crust out from the freezer and remove plastic wrap

02. pour coconut whip cream into tart pan, and evenly spread around 

03. decorate with raspberries

04. sprinkle chopped pistachios over top

05. drizzle your agave

// store in freezer or fridge //

easily adaptable awesome cookies

another busy, busy week for this very unorganized soon-to-be high-schooler.

BUT. 

i have another cookie recipe

for all of you busy, busy people who are in dire need of something sweet

and if you tell me "no", here are a few reasons why you have to:

a) although you may be busy doing who know's what, you need your cookie fuel for the week

b) THEY'RE COOKIES AND I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE ON THE PHONE WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES you HAVE to make these cookies

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can we just admire this #almondmilkporn

yes.

yes we can.

it's just… i can't... no words.

of course in a bonne maman strawberry jam jar, because WHY NOT.

in fact, you could even eat these cookies raw if you wanted to

hmmm… healthy cookie dough anyone? it's not like it hasn't been done before or anything...

BUT SERIOUSLY. GO TO YOUR KITCHEN AND MAKE THESE COOKIES

i am 99.99992% sure that you have all of these ingredients sitting in your pantry right now just waiting to be used for this very recipe.

yes.

the easiest easily adaptable awesome 5-ingredient amazing cookies, ever

adapted from the one and only minimalist baker

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1 cup packed dates (preferably medjool + soaked in warm/hot water for at least 10 min)

1 medium/large ripe banana

2 tbs almond butter

3/4 cup almond meal

3/4 cup rolled oats

(optional additions: chopped dark chocolate, coconut, flame raisins, nuts, other goodness…)

00. preheat oven to 350 degrees F

01. drain dates, and put in a food processor until chopped into little bits

02. add banana and almond butter and process again until smooth

03. pour in almond meal and rolled oats and pulse until just combined

04. with a spatula, fold in remaining mix-ins

05. scoop a small handful of dough and roll them into small balls, and put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. press down lightly on each dough ball, as they will not spread

06. bake for 15 minutes - 18 minutes

07. take out and let cool. then eat immediately.

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the almond milk says "hi"

is almond butter better than peanut butter?

so i've been asked this question a lot...

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"is almond butter better than peanut butter?"

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and i say,

"well…"

and they say,

"well what?"

and then...

"well… it's different."

"different???"

"yeah, it's more… almond-y."

"what's that supposed to mean?"

"it's better than peanut butter. that's it."

and then they yell at me and exclaim that it could never be better than skippy peanut butter. but let me assure you. it CAN. 

especially when it is paired with maple syrup, a large dash of salt, and nutmeg.

(woohoo for nutmeg! bringing christmas to spring!!)

(plus it is super easy, and is probably 99.999999% better for you…)

maple + nutmeg almond butter

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16oz raw almonds (or roasted)

1 tbs maple syrup

2 tsp ground nutmeg (you could also do cinnamon!)

1/2+ tsp salt

00. (if your almonds are not already pre-roasted) in a pan over medium heat, toast almonds until they begin to brown and turn golden, (and they don't taste like water as much)

01. blend almonds in a vitamix or powerful food processor for 10-20 minutes until it turns into a butter - there is the four stages: the flour stage, the paste stage, the ball stage, and then the butter stage… be patient!

02. add in nutmeg, maple syrup, and salt, and blend again. it will cease up into a paste ball and eventually turn into a spread stage… do not fear!

03. enjoy on a large slab of warm banana bread

and i'm back

and i'm back from spring break! hoora- NO. 

back from break means back to school.

which means a lot less time to do things...

like baking stuff...

like baking granola...

so of course, the night before returning back to the school morning routine, i whipped up a batch of chunky fig, hazelnut butter, & quinoa granola. super good i must say. super DUPER good.

like so good that you will just scoop handfuls of this granola into your mouth kind-of good.

**slightly sweet, salty, crunchy – the whole SHEBANG. 

it's pretty awesome.

**just a side note: when i say slightly sweet, i mean not really sweet at all. if you'd like it to be sweeter, just add more honey/agave/maple syrup.

***adapted loosely from this recipe

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1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds (unroasted)

2 tbs homemade hazelnut butter (or other nut butter)

1/2 tbs olive oil (doesn't have to be exact)

1/2 tbs coconut oil

1 tbs agave/maple syrup/honey (any would work)

1 tsp+ salt 

5 large dried figs

1/3 cup flame raisins

00. preheat the oven to 350 degrees F + line a baking sheet with parchment paper

01. rinse quinoa in a fine mesh-strainer until water runs clear 

02. in a large bowl, combine quinoa, oats, and chopped almonds

03. in a small saucepan, melt together coconut oil, olive oil, hazelnut butter, and agave

04. once melted together, pour over quinoa/oats/almonds, add salt, and fold together until combined

05. in one layer, spread out the un-toasted granola onto the baking sheet

06. bake for 20 minutes, flipping granola about half way

07. for the last 5 minutes, add figs and raisins, and lower oven heat to 275 degrees F

08. once done, let cool, and store in an airtight container

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ENJOY!

P.S. and maybe sometime next week i'll post the photographs i took in santa fe! have a great end of the week!

probably the best flourless zucchini brownies, ever

** i do realize that the photo above reads "flourESS zucchini brownies". my apologies for my error.

but anyways,

you heard me.

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zucchini brownies.

like there are green vegetables in these brownies.

but can you taste it? no.

but does it make these brownies totally delicious, and moist, and amazing, and absolutely scrumptious??

you guessed it!

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IT DOES. and LOOK at the drizzle of coconut whip cream on that brownie. 

it's almost like they were made for each other. i ship it.

i'm suspecting that the majority of you will just end up closing the tab to these brilliant brownies, because it contains green things.

but to the few of you who a reading on… i congratulate you. you will be able to make awesome zucchini brownies after this.

(i forgot to mention that these brownies are vegan, gluten-free, flourless, and awesome)

brownies:

1/2 cup nut butter (i used leftover homemade cashew butter and hazelnut butter)

1/4 cup agave

1/2 cup finely smashed banana (about 1 large)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup cocoa/cacao powder

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini (from 1 medium-large zucchini)

3/4 cup oats (gf if desired)

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

coconut whip cream:

1 can full fat coconut milk

1 tbs sugar (or other granulated sugar)

for the whip cream:

01. the night before you make the brownies, or eat the brownies, place a can in your fridge.

02. the next day, gently take out the can, *do not shake it*

03. carefully turn the can upside-down and take off the top of the can using a can-opener.

04. in your sink, drain out the liquid at the top.

05. empty the dense coconut cream at the bottom of the can into a bowl, and whip it with sugar in an electric mixer, or by hand — (which is what i do to get those muscles pumpin')

for the brownies:

00. preheat oven to 350 degrees F

01. grind oats until ground into a fine flour (i used a bullet smoothie maker)

02. in a large bowl with a whisk, mix together nut butter, agave, the smashed banana, and vanilla. vigorously mix, until smooth. (optionally, you can use a standard mixer)

03. add in cocoa, oat flour, zucchini, and baking soda, salt, and mix again until well combined. it's okay if the shredded zucchini breaks up!

04. pour brownie batter into 9" x 9" pan (or close) and bake for 25-30 minutes. mine were perfect at 25, but my oven is ancient.

05. let brownies cool & top with coconut whip cream

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have a fantastic weekend! (and a lovely spring break to all of you public school-ers!)

oat & nib "blondies"

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is it just me, or do all bakers eat their food while they photograph it? izy? does this ever happen to you? it happens every. single. time. (see first .gif for reference).

well i just created this whip-up-anytime recipe with some medjool dates i had bought from our family lunch date/shopping spree at eataly. medjools alone are soft and so incredibly sweet that you could enjoy them on their own, stuffed with almond butter, or even some homemade (1-hour ground in-frustration) hazelnut butter.

don't ask.

just know that my food processor broke, and my last resort was a magic bullet. yes. it was an hour or so.

but seriously, i've seen so many raw/non-raw bars using medjool dates, walnuts, cacao etc. so i knew i had to try to make something of my own.

oat & nib "blondies" + chocolate "frosting"

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for the blondies:

1 cup packed + pitted medjool dates (soaked)

1 cup oats

1/4 walnuts or almonds

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup cacao nibs

handful of chopped figs (optional)

shredded coconut (optional)

for the frosting:

a ripe banana

heaping tbs cacao/cocoa powder

(00). bring a small pot of water to a bowl and pour over pitted medjool dates in a bowl. let sit for 3 minutes

01. in a food processor, blend oats, almonds, and salt until ground into a flour 

02. drain water from soaked dates, and add medjools. blend until a ball of dough is formed

03. add cacao nibs, figs, and other miscellaneous toppings that fancy you and pulse until just combined

04. in a small plastic container or tuppaware, place dough in center and firmly press down until it reaches the sides in an even layer

05. in the same processor (cleaned if necessary), blend banana and cacao powder until smooth

06. pour frosting over blondie and spread in yet another even layer

07. sprinkle with coconut and enjoy!

08. i recommend refrigerating it for at least 3 hours before eating, but you can eat it right then and there if you'd like!

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have a fantastic and rain-free weekend everyone!

olive oil oatmeal cookies

good morning from new york! it's been such a great weekend… baking… indoors… while the sun is out and it's the first time in months where the temperature has actually peaked 50 degrees. yup, i know, BAKING IS TOTALLY WORTH IT. the feels, people! the FEELS!

anyways, i haven't shared my favorite links from this week…

• dominique ansel has created another fad, and the sheeple (aka sheep-people. google it.) have gone at it once again

• this salad might give me superpowers. it's awesome and i need to try it.

• i might have finally found a recipe for the super-duper-good coconut curry cashews that i found at the chelsea market a few weeks ago!

• i could marry this illustration

• but then again...

my favorite song for this week is seriously amazing, and you should listen to it….

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moving on...

woahahahhhhh.

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i don't think it can get better than these babies right here.

(hint: roll over the image below with your mouse)

INSTANT BAKING. yeah, that's right. throwing some of my html skills at you.

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here we are. with these fantabulous cookies. i mean just YOU and these cookies. because once you eat them you'll be tempted to eat them ALL. 

but that's okay. *whispers* because they're healthy.

*continues whispering* and they're flourless. and vegan.

*dracula laugh*

olive oil oatmeal cookies – w/ toasted coconut, raisins, cacao nibs, and anything else you can think of

makes 12-16 cookies

adapted from mangia

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free if necessary)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt (or less if you don't like the sweet-salty profile)

heaping 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbs olive oil

1/4 cup + 1 tbs unsweetened almond milk (more if needed)

1/4 cup raisins

large handful of cacao nibs

1/3 cup toasted coconut flakes (on a pan on medium-high heat, toast coconut flakes for about 3 minutes, or until golden)

00. preheat oven to 375 degrees

01. use a food processor to grind the oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar into a fine flour

02. pour "flour" into a large bowl and fold in olive oil, almond milk, and raisins, and cacao nibs

03. gently fold in coconut flakes, as not to break them (entirely)

04. take small piece dough, and roll into a ball (be sure to taste test, just to make sure that it's not poison or anything…) and place on a baking sheet. repeat.  

05. flatten balls into round disks (unless you want baked cookie truffles, which is totally OK.)

06. bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes. i baked mine for 7.

07. eat.

healthy(er) honey-roasted cayenne almonds (+ walnuts)

goodness gracious me.

delicious, crunchy, sweet, spicy, and salt-y. (ha! it rhymes…)

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the magnifying-circle-thingys practically speak for themselves!

this honey nut mix is a delectable after school/work snack that can be made in a spiffy, (which is perfect for people with homework to do. like me).

although these may be healthier than the typical handful of candied mixed nuts, they still have a lot of sugar because of the amount of honey in the recipe. (but still, they're scrumptious, so who cares).

honey-roasted cayenne almonds (+walnuts)

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1/4 cup honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2-1 tsp cayenne

1 heaping cup whole almonds

1/2 cup walnuts (whole or pieces)

1+ tbs sesame seeds

1 tsp salt

01. preheat oven to 325 degrees F. line baking sheet with parchment paper

02. in a pan/skillet on low, warm honey, cinnamon, and cayenne. (make sure the honey does not burn) (note: i sprayed the pan with canola oil so that the honey wouldn't stick to the pan)

03. once honey is warm, add almonds and walnuts, and coat in the honey

04. remove from heat, and spread an even layer of the sticky nuts on baking sheet

05. sprinkle with sesame seeds and salt. bake for 15 minutes. remove from oven and let cool for at least 1 hour (or until hardened)

06. endlessly snack!

oh, clementine

hello all!

as a lot of you may have noticed, i've changed platforms. which means that this blog is no longer supported by tumblr. to celebrate, my lovely mother and i created this scrumptious clementine cake. just for all of you clementine lovers to enjoy.

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okay, i lied. this cake wasn't exactly to celebrate my only somewhat successful platform transfer, but for a little party we were throwing at our apartment for a family-friends meet last night.

either way, i'd like to think it was for my success.

anyways, just look at this cake! i don't think there is a single flaw in this cake (other than the melting glaze that ended up soaking into all of the little holes in the cake and moistening it up. wait, there's a flaw in this flaw...)

BUT SERIOUSLY. CITRUS PEOPLE! CANDIED CITRUS! and CLEMENTINES! and KUMQUATS! i'm telling you now, no faults in this (delightful and aromatic) cake. 

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just a little frosting porn (?!) for you all before adding the citrus slices… 

as well as the finished piece, whose pictures are not as cheery because of the winter-where-the-sun-lasts-ten-minutes sunlight. 

and the drip… 

and the finale...

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almond clementine cake 

adapted from call me cupcake

makes 12-14 servings

the cake:

6 clementines

6 eggs

1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/3 cup almond flour

1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

the candied citrus:

2 clementines

a lemon

a lime

1/2 punnet kumquats

1 cup water

1 3/4 cups sugar

the icing:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1-3 clementines

the cake:

01. place the clementines in a pot of water (enough to cover), bring to a boil, and cook for 2 hours (submerged). drain. when cooled,  mash/chop/process (juice, pith, peel, and all).

02. preheat oven to 375 degrees F

03. butter a springform pan (8-inch, or 9-inch)

04. in a standard mixer, beat eggs. add sugar, almonds, and baking powder. mix. add in clementine mixture, mix.

05. pour cake mixture into springform, and bake for 40-50 minutes on the middle oven rack. (start checking for doneness at 35 minutes with a skewer/toothpick)

06. remove cake from oven, and let cool on a rack, (cake still in the pan)

07. once completely cooled, remove cake from springform

the candied citrus:

01. slice clementines, lemon, lime, and kumquats thinly (as thin as possible without breaking the shape)

02. bring sugar and water to a boil in a rimmed saucepan. add sliced citrus and let simmer for 20-25 minutes. remove and let cool on parchment paper.

the icing:

01. sift powdered sugar in a large bowl. cut clementines in half, and squeeze juice into bowl like a lemon. start with 1 clementine, and add more until the desired consistency is reached.

02. pour over cake, let harden.

03. add candied citrus over top