Tag: almond butter

Almond Butter Fat Bombs (Gluten Free, Low Sugar, Dairy Free) – Sneak Peak Recipe from My Book!

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So, you go sugar-free or low-carb for a while and then—BAM—one bite of a sweet cake or cookie or piece of bread and your cravings come back full force! 

Ever notice that? It’s normal. 

Sugar triggers pleasure receptors in your brain, and that causes you to want more and more and more. 

And it’s a nasty cycle.

You crave sugar, so you eat it and then you keep eating it and then you feel sluggish and it’s just not a fun place to be in.

This is why I like to keep my sugar intake very low and my fat intake high. It keeps my sugar cravings at bay, it helps to balance my blood sugar, it keeps my brain fuelled and it provides me with lots of energy. 

Plus, healthy fat is incredibly important for hormonal health.

This is one of the 60 recipes from my book The 30 Day Hormone Soltuion. You can order your copy at hormonesolutionbook.com  (plus receive over $350 in amazing free bonuses!)
 
In the meantime, test out this recipe and enjoy!!

Almond Butter Fat Bombs

Crush your cravings with these truly satisfying almond butter fat bombs...next time you're craving something sweet, reach for one of these instead and watch your craving melt away.
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Servings: 12 fat bombs
Author: Samantha Gladish

Ingredients

  • 3⁄4 cup (156 g) cacao butter, cut into small chunks 
  • 2 tbsp (27 g) coconut oil or ghee 
  • 3 tbsp (18 g) raw cacao powder 
  • 3 heaping tbsp (about 54 g) crunchy or smooth almond butter 
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 2 tbsp (24 g) monk fruit, Swerve or liquid stevia, or to taste (optional) 
  • 1/2 cup (42 g) coconut chips, roughly chopped or broken into small pieces (chopped nuts would work well, too) 

Instructions

  • Line a large muffin tin with silicone liners or parchment baking cups. Over a double boiler, melt the cacao butter and coconut oil together. As they start to melt, add the cacao powder and almond butter, gently stirring everything together. 
  • Add the vanilla, sea salt and sweetener of choice (if using). When melted, remove from the heat and stir in the coconut chips. Pour the mixture into the silicone muffin molds, filling just one-quarter of the way. 
  • Place the muffin tin in the freezer for 1 hour to set. Then remove it from freezer when ready to eat. If you are using the silicone molds, the fat bombs pop right out with ease! 
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My Favourite Morning Smoothie

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I’m pretty obsessed with my green smoothies in the morning. Over the years as I was constantly revamping my diet and trying new super foods, I gravitated towards making a green smoothie because it was 1. easy to thrown all my ingredients into a blender and drink it and 2. it’s just damn tasty and it makes me feel like a rock star!

Don’t you want to feel like a rock start? 

I’m always asked what kind of blender and juicer I use…

Blender – Vitamix (which I’ve had now for almost 10 years!)
Juicer – Omega (which I got almost 2 years ago and love)

But I love my vitamix more only because it’s less hassle to clean 🙂

But… juicing is better, right? Or is blending?

Another question I get asked often. 

With blending you preserve all the fiber and juicing you extract all the fiber. That’s why its a juice. The pulp is separated and you’re left with a pure, clean juice. Obviously you want to juice veggies to obtain the most nutrients content that will supercharge your cells upon drinking. Due to the fiber being removed, the absorbability of a juice is much faster. 

As for blending, the pulp is kept in tact and you drink it. Nothing wrong with that! The pulp/fiber will help slow the release of sugar into your bloodstream and is more satiating. 

So..which one is better? I say do both! Personally, I include both smoothies and juices in my diet. If I’m heading out the door to a meeting or off for a super busy day, I’m probably not going to juice. It’s not as filling and my tummy will be wanting to eat soon after. In this case, I’d rather make a smoothie and load it with fruits, veggies, protein, fiber and healthy fats. This is filling!

But what if you combine the two?? Yup! Combine them!

That’s what I’ve started to do and I’m officially obsessed with this blend. It’s so fuelling, energizing, invigorating, healthy, nutritious and yummy!

Due to my juicer being low speed, it prevents oxidation and the juice can actually be stored for up to 72 hours. So what I like to do is make a big batch of fresh pressed juice, use some right away, and then store the rest in the fridge overnight to use again tomorrow. 

Bonus is that I don’t have to juice everyday, but I get to enjoy the benefits.

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So here’s what I’ve been juicing, which I use as a base for my smoothie:

Juice (makes 4-5 cups)

  • 2 large cucumbers
  • 5 celery stalks
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 inch piece of ginger root
  • 1 lemon

I add 1-2 cups of this to my vitamix blender and add in:

  • Half a banana
  • Handful of mixed greens (spinach, kale, etc)
  • 2 tsp spirulina powder
  • 1 tbsp hemp seeds
  • 2 tsp chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp almond butter
  • 1/4 avocado (optional, but adds extra creaminess)
  • 1 cup spring water (optional, depending on your preference of thickness)

Blend together and enjoy!

Your energizing Juice-Smoothie! It’s loaded with silica, potassium, omega 3’s, protein, vitamin B12, vitamin C, fiber, beta-carotene and vitamin E. It doesn’t get any better than that. Plus, it tastes SO good!

Happy Juicing and Blending!

P.S. If you’re looking for more delicious and energizing smoothie recipes, My Qualitarian Cookbook is full of them! From juices to smoothies and healing elixirs, you’ll find a ton of nourishing and healthy recipes. Check it out HERE. 

Samantha xoxo 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rice Krispies Squares- All Grown Up!

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I loved rice krispie squares as a kid.  I remember pulling up a chair to the oven so I could see my melt the marshmallows and the butter and stir together the rice krispies. They were so easy to make, but sadly, full of processed ingredients and high in sugar. 

And even worse, you can now buy pre made rice krispies which contain even more junk and artificial ingredients. These are what most parents are sending their kids off to school with as treats! 

Enter, the all grown up rice krispies! They are insanely delicious and kid friendly approved (my nieces approve all my treats), but they are super satisfying and loaded with more ‘adult’ friendly (and waist friendly) ingredients!

With almond butter (healthy fats) and unprocessed natural sugar (maple syrup), plus a few simple and natural additions, like cinnamon, vanilla and coconut; these treats are waaaaaay better than what Kellogg’s is serving up!

Plus, they are gluten free. Huge bonus!

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I whipped these up last week in literally 5 minutes. They lasted 1 day and so I made a fresh batch to bring up north for the long weekend. Again…they didn’t last long!

Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! 🙂

All Grown Up Rice Krispie Squares
Yields 16
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
10 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup almond butter (try sun butter for nut free version)
  2. 1/2 cup maple syrup (the real s**t, not aunt jemima's!)
  3. 2 tbsp shredded coconut
  4. 1 tsp cinnamon
  5. 1 tsp ground vanilla bean
  6. 3 1/2 cups Natures Path gluten free crispy rice cereal
  7. 1/4 cup chocolate chips, melted (optional, can use for drizzle)
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt together the almond butter and maple syrup. Stir together until well combined.
  2. Once melted, add in coconut, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir well.
  3. Lastly, add in crispy rice cereal and mix until well combined and cereal is completely coated with almond butter mixture.
  4. Transfer to an 8x8 baking dish lined with parchment paper.
  5. Pour into dish, press down into pan and place into the freezer to set. *If you are drizzling chocolate on top, place in freezer. Otherwise, place in fridge to set.
  6. Leave in freezer for 5 minutes, then remove and drizzle with melted chocolate. Place back into freezer to harden chocolate, for approximately 10 minutes.
  7. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into desired squares.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/

 

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Paleo Bread- No Grains or Gluten Here!

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Paleo. What the heck does this mean?

First off… let’s not get so hung up on the word Paleo. Basically, this is a type of ‘diet’ that focuses on eating more like our caveman ancestors. Focusing on wild game, grass fed meats, quality fat sources, such as coconut oil, grass fed butter, olive oil, avocados, etc. As for carbohydrate sources, grains are omitted and replaced by a small intake of fruit (yes, fruit is a carbohydrate source) and squashes and sweet potato.

Grains are pretty non-existent on a pale diet and quite honestly, I am all for that!!

Wheat, whole wheat, pasta, bread….are wreaking havoc on our brains and our waist lines! More on this in a later post.

Bread and Paleo don’t typically go together, but I’m all for breaking the rules! As with any ‘diet,’ there needs to be a little wriggle-room for you to enjoy your favourite foods. Plus, it’s so easy to ‘healthify’ just about any recipe.

So if you’re following a Paleo diet, you might be craving for a big hearty slice of bread. That’s where this recipe comes in.

It’s grain free and made primarily from almond flour!

It’s nutty texture is amazing. I love having a slice of this bread toasted with some almond butter, or as a side to my chilli toasted with some grass fed butter. Either way its delicious!

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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Paleo Bread

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups almond flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
4 large organic eggs
1 tbsp raw honey
3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 F. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, then add the honey and apple cider vinegar. Whisk to combine. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir together. Pour the batter in a well greased loaf pan (I greased mine with coconut oil). Bake the bread for 45 minutes, until bread is golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean.

Easy peesy!

* Feel free to add some cinnamon or ground vanilla bean to sweeten to the dry ingredients.

* Or try a more savoury bread by adding in dried herbs such a thyme or rosemary.

 

Enjoy!

Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

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Delicious Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies!

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I LOVE baking!

I’m always tweaking recipes and up for the challenge to health-ify desserts!

I make these delicious flour less almond butter cookies (recipe here!) and they are a huge hit! So I thought I would take that same recipe and make brownies!

I made a few slight changes and it was a success! Yippee! PLUS, they are gluten free! How great is that?!

You can whip up these bad boys in no time, with very little mess in the kitchen! 😉

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Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies

 

Ingredients:

1 cup almond butter (I used chunky for the extra crunch)
1 organic egg
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp baking soda (aluminium free is BEST!)
1/3 cup of coconut sugar (organic cane sugar or sucanat would work well too)
½ tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 – 1/2 cup organic chocolate chips (you can get dairy free chips and make this recipe vegan!)

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a brownie pan with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and pour batter into pan. NOTE – the batter did not completely fill the brownie pan. I used my fingers to press the batter down into the pan, making it quite flat. It ‘almost’ fit the pan, but not quite. This is ok! They still came out amazing! If you have a smaller pan (6×6), use that! Bake brownies for approx. 22-25 minutes. Cool brownies for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Simple, easy and super tasty!!
Enjoy!
Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂
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Gluten Free Recipes! Apricot Granola and (flour free) Vanilla Almond Butter Chocolate Chips Cookies!

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Hi Everyone! My apologizes for no Meatless Monday post! My recipes come to you a few days delayed this week! I’m all for supporting Meatless Monday but lately my schedule has been quite busy! I find my posts have been getting out a little late….which I hope your all OK with!?! 🙂 I plan on re launching my website soon and chances are posts won’t be every Monday, but rather 1 or 2 throughout the week. Just thought I’d give you all a heads up!!

OK….on to the delicious recipes. Apricot Granola…..my FAV! I get how easy it is to pick up a box of store bought granola, but store bought is loaded with sugar and hydrogenated fats. Making your own is easy and you get to personalize it with your favourite ingredients! Feel free to add whichever nuts and seeds you like. You can also swap out the apricots for raisins, cranberries or dried cherries. Put in a beautiful glass jar with a ribbon and this homemade granola makes the perfect holiday gift! 🙂

Gluten Free Apricot Granola

Ingredients
4 cups WHEAT FREE rolled oats (Bob’s Red Mill)
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
3/4 cup organic maple syrup
1 tbsp almond milk
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 cup coconut flakes
1/3 cup flax seeds
1 cup chopped almonds
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups unsulfured apricots

 

Directions
Preheat oven to 300. Combine maple syrup, almond milk, and coconut oil in a large saucepan and set aside.
Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl, except apricots, and toss well. Add the maple-oil mixture and stir together really well. Pour mixture onto 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes, stir and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in apricots.
Depending on how crispy you like your granola, I would suggest baking the granola for another 10-15 minutes. Be sure to keep your eye on it. Either way, don’t bake the apricots, add them at the very end.
Cool and store in an air tight container. This granola will last for several months in glass jars, but it’s so yummy, it won’t last that long! Serve with organic sheep yogurt or rice or almond milk.

 

Yes…these are huge! And they stuck together, hence why they look square-ish!

Gluten Free Flour Free Vanilla Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup raw almond butter
1/3 cup raw honey
1 egg, whisked
1 tsp organic ground vanilla bean (or vanilla extract)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
sea salt
3/4 cup chocolate chunks (I like Enjoy Life brand)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop large balls onto cookie sheet. I made 10 LARGE cookies. Bake for 20 mins.
These cookies spread easily and if theres not enough room between them they will bake together. NO biggie, you’ll just have to cut them apart. ENJOY!!!

Have a Happy Day!

Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂

 

 

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Almond Butter Cups & Cacao Coffee Frappuccino to Kick Start Your Week!

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Who doesn’t love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups?!?! I mean…peanut butter and chocolate together…OH SO GOOD!! As much as I crave peanut butter and am tempted to dive into a Reese’s cup every now and then….I don’t!!! Instead, I make my Almond Butter Cups that are TENS times more nutritious and delicious! Peanuts, as yummy as they are, contain a mould called Aflatoxins. Unfortunately, these little nuts just aren’t as good for us as we may think. They are also highly allergenic, so I suggest you do your best to avoid them. Instead…eat almonds or have almond butter and make these divine treats! They are perfect for Halloween, especially if you have little ones with peanut allergies!

Almond Butter Cups

Ingredients
2 bags organic dark chocolate chips
1-2 cups organic raw or crunchy almond butter

Directions
Line a mini cupcake tray with baking cups. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Once melted pour 1-2 tsp of chocolate into cups, making sure to spread chocolate up the side of the cups ( I did this with the back of a spoon). Once all cups are filled, place tray in freezer for 5 minutes so chocolate can harden. Once frozen, place a dollop of almond butter into cups (flatten with finger) and pour remaining chocolate over top. Freeze for 10-12 minutes, or until cups have completely hardened.

Cacao Coffee Frappuccino
This is a delicious morning shake that will really give you a boost! I don’t recommend having coffee first thing in the morning, so you should start your day with warm water and lemon and/or an alkalizing fresh pressed veggie juice….then onto the coffee! This recipe came about when I had leftover organic coffee that I just didn’t want to waste, so into my shake it went! It was delicious!

Ingredients
1/2 cup chocolate coconut water (optional)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 heaping tbsp raw cacao powder
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Coffee (I used about 1 cup organic french pressed coffee)
2-3 ice cubes

Directions
Mix in blender until smooth

 

 

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Black Bean Quinoa Burgers and Chocolate Raspberry Almond Smoothie for Meatless Monday

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I got so excited when I saw this black bean burger recipe from Vegetarian Times land in my inbox, I just had to try it! It’s not often that I make veggie burgers but since I had all ingredients on hand, I couldn’t resist. They turned out delicious…and best part is, I made a second dish with them the following day! One recipe, two dishes! Can’t go wrong with that! Hope you enjoy!

Black Bean & Quinoa Burgers
I topped these burgers with hummus, dijon mustard, red onion and kale. It was the perfect combo!

Ingredients:
½ cup quinoa
1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped (¼ cup)
1½ cups cooked black beans, or 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
2 tsp. dried steak seasoning, or any seasoning you prefer
8 gluten free hamburger buns

Directions:

1. Stir together quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water in small saucepan, and season with sea salt, if desired. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. (You should have 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa.)

2. Meanwhile, place onion and sun-dried tomatoes in medium nonstick skillet, and cook over medium heat. (The oil left on the tomatoes should be enough to sauté the onion.) Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion has softened. Stir in 3/4 cup black beans, garlic, steak seasoning, and 1 1/2 cups water. Simmer 10 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

3. Transfer bean-onion mixture to food processor, add 3/4 cup cooked quinoa, and process until smooth. Transfer to bowl, and stir in remaining 3/4 cup quinoa and remaining 3/4 cup black beans. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and cool.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F, and generously coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape bean mixture into 8 patties (1/2 cup each), and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, or until patties are crisp on top. Flip patties with spatula, and bake 10 minutes more, or until both sides are crisp and brown. Serve on buns.

 

Black Bean & Quinoa Bowl
I decided to mix these burgers with some leftover quinoa and kale for a delicious lunch the following day! It was delicious. In a large non stick pan, I sautéed 2 cups chopped kale, with 1 black bean burger, 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, and 1 tbsp pesto.
Chocolate Raspberry Almond Smoothie

I was craving something chocolatey and so I decided to blend together some raw cacao with raspberries, almond butter and other goodness for this delicious treat! Feel free to add fresh strawberries as well!

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1 tsp maca powder
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp organic ground vanilla
3-4 ice cubes

Directions:
Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender. Enjoy!

Happy Meatless Monday!

Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂

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Almond Butter Cookies

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I made these scrumptious cookies yesterday and was so pleased how they turned out I just had to share the recipe with you! These cookies are full of fiber, omega’s (healthy fats) and sweetened with maple syrup. Best of all they are super easy to make! I guarantee they won’t last long in your house!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup maple syrup ( I used grade B syrup)
3 Tbsp safflower oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup spelt flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup almonds, chopped (walnuts would work great too!)
1/2 cup gluten free chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, mix together almond butter, maple syrup, oil and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, blend together flour, baking soda and salt.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Fold in the chopped almonds and chocolate chips.
Refridgerate the dough for at least an hour.
Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flaten balls with your hand or the back of a spoon. Bake for 10-12mins, until edges are slightly golden brown.

Happy Baking!

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@holisticwellnessfoodie