Coconut Mocha Brownie Balls - Healthy Dessert & Workout Snack

Coconut Mocha Brownie Balls

Dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and vegetarian-friendly.
The holidays are over and that's cool. Let's eat better sweets.

Recipe by Sumera Garcia-Quadri
Ingredients 
11/2 cup almond meal
1/3 cup dark cacao powder (low in fat and dark)
1/2 cup dates without pitts (I usually use Algerian or Saudi dates and remove the seeds)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup toasted coconut
2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
1/3 cup cold coffee

Method
In a food processor, blend the dates, coffee and cacao powder. Pour mixture in a bowl and add in almond meal, chopped walnuts, chia seeds and toasted coconut. Make balls and coat with more coconut. Store in a metal container and in the fridge. I usually keep them for over 2 weeks.

#sweet #healthydessert #vegetarianrecipes
#vegan #dairyfree #glutenfree#refinedsugarfree #brownies#workoutsnack #postworkoutsnack#chocolate #medjooldates #healthyrecipes#delicious #love #coconut #coffee#proteinballs #workoutmeal #foodie#homecooking #toronto #algeriandates#tamer

Fall Spicy Squash Soup (Vegan & Low Fat)

Recipe by Sumera Garcia-Quadri
Ingredients 

• 1 medium butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut into cubes)
  4 cups cold water
  1 tbsp vegan butter
  1 medium white onion chopped
  1 celery stalk chopped
  1 tbsp each salt, onion, and garlic power
  1 to 2 dry whole red chilies 2 tbsp onion and garlic powder 1 tbsp white pepper

• 1 tbsp grated ginger

• 5 to 8 black peppercorns and fresh thyme (1 sprig)
  

Method
In a stainless steel pot, melt vegan butter. Once melted, add in onions, black peppercorns, pepper, and celery. Saute all ingredients for 5-minutes. Add in squash cubes and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add in water and all spices and ginger. Bring to a boil without the lid. Once boiling, turn the heat to low, add lid and cook for 15 to 20-minutes or until the squash is falling apart. Turn off the stove and blend ingredients together using a hand blender/blender. Add in pepper sauce for extra flavor and heat. Enjoy!

Yummy 7-Layer Bars - Vegan, Dairy-Free & Flour-Free

7- Layer Bar/Hello Dolly

Took the plunge and made my favorite dessert bar VEGAN, DAIRY-FREE & FLOUR-FREE! 

Super Yummy and much lower in carbs/sugar than the traditional version

Recipe

-1 small can of coconut non-dairy  condensed milk (get it online or try an Indian-Pakistani or Sri Lankan grocery store)

- 1 1/2 cup ground almonds

- 1 cup walnuts

- 3/4 dark chocolate chips (non-diary)

- 1 cup toasted coconut shredded

- 2 cup unsweetened coconut shredded

- 2 big tbsp of vegan salted butter (1/4 cup melted)

Method

In a bowl, mix almond meal with butter until the mix becomes crumbly. Pour mixture into a 8 by 8 pan lined with  parchment paper and press until it's firm and there are no holes. Pour the can of milk. Then layer with some walnuts, coconut, and chocolate. Repeat 3 more times until you have 7 layers in total. Press mixture with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees c for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is bubbly and slightly brown.

Allow to cool for a few hours and then cut into bars. I try to store em in the fridge in metal tins or glass. Trying to ditch the plastic!