Pumpkin Pie Granola

All Recipes, Almond Milk, Almonds, Banana, Breakfast, Chia Seeds, Dates, Flax Seeds, Gluten-Free, Healthy Fats, Oats, Pumpkin Seeds

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you want to kick off your day with a burst of energy to power you through your day, you’re going to want to do it with plant-foods. Fill up on a clean source of protein, healthy fat, fiber, vitamins and minerals to start your day off right.

Now, to do this, you have many options. You could make a smoothie, a raw cacao banana “ice cream”, a chickpea scramble (recipe coming soon!), banana-almond oatmeal, a creamy polenta-porridge, those chocolate-coconut black bean brownies from last week… the list goes on and on!

I think I skipped one major breakfast food…Now, I’m not talking that highly processed, heavy-on-the-white-sugar-ed, fiber-lacking, basically candy in a box cereal. Oh no.

I’m talking a whole food, homemade granola that is as nourishing for your body as it is for your soul.

If you’re anything like me, cereal brings feelings of comfort, having grown up eating it almost every day. My dad is a bonafide cereal fiend, which made me one too. Just the thought of sitting down to a sweet bowl of crunchy cereal and letting it soak just enough in the (almond) milk gets me giddy and nostalgic inside. Okay AND…This granola recipe.Tastes just like.Pumpkin.Freakin’.Pie.

The warming spices of cinnamon and nutmeg are perfect for a cold winter’s morning. Fill up your bowl, top with almond milk, and dig right in.

This recipe was created and made by Emily Darling. She does some amazing sweet and savory bowls that you’ll be seeing this year. We can’t wait to show you!

Here’s how you put together this masterpiece of a recipe. She prefers her foods less sweet, so feel free to add maple syrup or extra dates to the recipe to make the sweetness right for you.

PUMPKIN PIE GRANOLAServes 2Prep Time 5 min / Cook Time 35 minTotal Time 40 minA crunchy, hearty, healthy granola that brings the warmth of fall to your tastebuds. Taste the flavor of pumpkin pie for breakfast in cereal form, any time of year. Top with almond milk for that perfect crunchy-soft consistency.

• Ingredients:• 2 cups of oats• 1-4 dates, depending on your sweet tooth• 1/4 cup of whole raw almonds• 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds• 1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp of cinnamon• 1 tsp of ground nutmeg• 1/4 tsp of ground cloves• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice• 3 tbsp of pumpkin purée• 1/4 of a very ripe banana• 1 tbsp ground flax seed• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• Directions:1. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.2. Finely chop the date or dates. Mix with 1 tablespoon of water until the liquid turns thick. You may do this in a blender as well.3. Mash the banana with 1/4 tsp of cinnamon.4. Combine date paste, banana, and pumpkin.5. Pour wet mixture of pumpkin, banana, and date paste into dry mixture. Stir throughly.6. Spread evenly on a baking sheet. Bake at 350º for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.7. Remove the sheet from the oven. Let the granola rest to cool and fully harden.8. Top with almond milk and bananas if you like them. Enjoy!

•NotesThe sweetness and healthy fat-content is up to you. Feel free to increase the sweetness of the dish with more dates or by topping it with a little real maple syrup. Increase the amount of oats and decrease the amount of nuts if you prefer less (albeit healthy) fat in your recipe.

By Emily Darling for Blissful Eating

Raw Southwest Corn Chowder

All Recipes, American Food, Cilantro, Corn, Entrées, Garlic, Lime, Low Fat, Raw Foods, Red Onion, Soups, Tomato

While I was in Portland last month, farmers markets were having crazy sales on sweet corn. My friend came home with a bunch of cobs from work, and I set to work thinking of delicious ways to consume said corn. Since she has a dehydrator, thoughts of raw tortillas danced through my mind, but sometimes you just don’t want to wait for something as tasty as sweet corn.

We decided on a fantastic recipe from Judita Wignall’s book, Raw & Simple. My friend had graciously sent me her book knowing how much I’d love it. Judita’s book is colorful with beautiful photos and lovely food styling. Her raw food recipes are delicious, easy, and fast – I highly recommend them! Here, I’ve made a few changes to her recipe to make it according to my tastes.

I love the Double Roasted Tomato salsa made by Frontera. I put it on anything that it fits with. It has a smokey flavor that I just adore. Have you ever been to Chevy’s and tried their salsa? If you have, I bet you feel the way I do about it being the best salsa on earth (and if you don’t, what’s wrong with you?!). This salsa is the closest I’ve found to it, and it goes perfectly with this Southwestern soup.

Talk about an easy recipe! All this really involves is throwing a few corn cobs into a blender! Well… the corn cob kernels that is. It is incredibly quick, but has an amazing depth of flavor and luxurious texture. It is nice and filling as well, which many people unfortunately assume raw foods can’t be. If you would like it to be a warm soup, you may warm it up on the stove, but try to keep it under 115 degrees to keep all those amazing nutrients and live enzymes alive.

RAW SOUTHWEST CORN CHOWDERPrep Time 20 minTotal Time 20 minA thick, satisfying raw soup that’s perfectly creamy!

• Ingredients:• 5 cups (or 5 ears) of fresh sweet corn, cleaned• 1 clove garlic• Juice from 1 lime• 2 tsp sea salt• 1 tsp cumin powder• 1/4 tsp red pepperTOPPINGS• 1 tomato, diced• 1/4 c. cilantro, chopped• 1/4 c. red onion, chopped

• Directions:1. Use a knife to cut down the sides of the corn to remove the kernels, being careful not to cut too low. You want nice soft kernels without the hard root part.2. Use 4 cups of the corn to blend for the base of the soup, setting 1 cup aside.3. Add the corn, garlic, lime juice, sea salt, cumin, and red pepper to a blender and liquify.4. Add the remaining corn into the soup and mix.5. Add the toppings to individual bowls as desired.

Adapted from Raw & Simple by Judita Wignall

Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

All Recipes, Black beans, Breakfast, Chocolate/Cacao Powder, Coconut, Coconut Oil, Dessert, Healthy Fats, Oats, Snacks

I have always been curious about black bean brownies. I wonder, “Do they even taste good? Can’t you taste the beans in them? Do they mess with the texture?”

Turns out, they are ah-maaaaaaaaay-zing!

And no, you’d have NO IDEA they were made with fibrous beans! We’re talkin’ addictingly good. The coconut and oats gives them this really luxurious texture of macaroons. The cacao and chocolate chips shine through, making them the leading flavor, and the coconut adds a richness to compliment. The black beans lend blood sugar-regulating fiber, making them a delectably healthy dessert that doesn’t give you a sugar crash afterwards.

These are much nicer to your body than your typical sweet dish made with white sugar and flour. These brownies are plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and nut-free, so the whole family can enjoy them! And because of these wholesome ingredients, you can eat these for breakfast, as a snack, or as a protein-packed energy bar as well as a dessert. Versatility at its finest!

They’re also really easy to make. You just measure out the ingredients, throw them in a food processor, set the batter in a pan, and bake for 15 minutes. And if you want to get your fingers dirty and eat the batter, it’s 100% safe to eat! No salmonella scares around here!

Put them in an airtight container to store for a few days, or freeze them for longterm keeping. You’re going to want to have these available later when you feel like a treat, believe me.

With this recipe I introduce to you Simone Blaise, who is a new contributor to Blissful Eating! She is the chef who adapted and made this batch of brownies. Her children can’t get enough of these treats. She loves that they’re actually eating healthy fats, fiber, and protein that just so happens to have the taste and texture of decadent, chocolatey brownies!

With the holiday season having been in full swing, we wanted to give you guys something with a wintery flavor to it, so we offer this recipe in both an original and peppermint flavor. That candy-cane twist version is coming soon (but here’s a sneak peek)!

Alright, without further ado, this is how you make the newest staple in your pantry

BLACK BEAN BROWNIESYields 12Prep Time 5 min / Cook Time 16 minTotal Time 25 minDelicious black bean brownies made with coconut, oats, cacao, and maple syrup. Vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and made whole foods.

• Ingredients:• 1 can black beans (organic preferred), drained & rinsed well• 3 tbsp raw cacao powder• ½ cup quick oats (organic, gluten-free preferred)• ¼ cup coconut oil, packed• 1/3 tsp sea salt• ½ cup real maple syrup (grade A or B, organic preferred)• 2-3 tsp vanilla extract• ½ cup vegan dark chocolate chips (mini size)• Chocolate chips for garnish

• Directions:1. Preheat oven to 350º F.2. Combine all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processor.3. Process until smooth. Scrape down the sides and process again for another minute.4. Stir in the 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.5. Pour into 8 x 8 greased (or lined with parchment paper) pan.6. Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top as desired.7. Put in the oven for about 16 minutes.8. Let cool for 10-15 minutes.9. For firmer brownies, put in the fridge for about an hour.

Adapted from a Simone Blaise recipe. Simi Blaise is a home cook and mommy of two. She uses her love of cooking to create easy recipes for people wanting to make healthier meals at home. You can check out more recipes by Simi on her Instagram account @simicooks and soon-to-be-website, at simicooks.com.