Breakfast, RECIPES

Homemade Oil Free Granola, Sweetened with Maple Syrup

INGREDIENTS

4 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup nuts (combination of sliced almonds and halved pecans pictured here), you can certainly use your favorites

3 tsp cinnamon 

1 cup water

½ cup maple syrup

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

*If you wish you can add in chocolate or coconut chips !

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat whichever you have at home

2. Heat the water, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a saucepan and let simmer for a couple of minutes. 

3. In a large bowl mix the oats, nuts, and cinnamon.

4. Pour the heated wet ingredients evenly over the mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon. 

5. Spread the granola mixture evenly over the lined baking tray, but don’t overcrowd the oats.

6. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes (Use a spatula), being careful not to burn the granola. Very important not to skip this step, so that your arts bake evenly.

7. Once the granola is done baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool down completely.

8. Once it’s fully cooled down, keep it in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 



Delicious on smoothies or added to yogourts 🙂

Cristina for Peas & Peace

HEALTH

Purple Cauliflower

Flavours in a dish are really important however if everything in your plate is the same hue or colour it is not as appealing to the eye. Have fun and add colour to your dishes !

Here is a perfect example

Purple cauliflower has a mild, sweet, and nutty flavor. Delicious steamed, roasted or raw 🙂

You will also see below the vitamin C content, who would of imagined !!!

Nutrition Facts
For a Serving Size of 0.17 medium head cauliflower (85g)
Calories 20Calories from Fat 0(0%)
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g
Sodium 25mg2%
Carbohydrates 4g
Net carbs 2g
Sugar 2g
Fiber 2g8%
Protein 2g
Vitamins and minerals
Vitamin A 0μg0%
Vitamin C 54mg90%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 0.4mg5%
Fatty acids
Amino acids
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs.

Cristina for Peas & Peace

JADE, WILLOW, SKYE & VALENTINA

VALENTINA

Simply want to introduce to you my precious Valentina, she is my daughter’s French Bulldog. She is simply delicious, I have the pleasure of looking after her for one week 🙂

She has a friendly, mild-mannered temperament, very smart and very funny.

Appetizers, Mains, RECIPES

Vegan Pepperoni

*Makes 2 x 6 inch logs

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups of vital wheat gluten
  • ⅓ cup tomato paste
  • ⅓ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup coconut oil *Not melted
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes 

Instructions

  1. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Once the mixture starts to come together, finish mixing by hand, kneading the dough for 3 minutes to make sure it’s well combined.

2. Add water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil.

3. Divide the dough into two pieces then roll the dough pieces into two logs about 6 inches long.

4. Wrap each log up loosely in a piece of aluminum foil then twist the ends closed. Steam for 30 minutes.

5. Remove the logs from the steamer and allow to cool completely in the fridge. The logs will have puffed up in the foil and become tight.

6. Once cooled, remove the foil and they are ready to slice. 

I cut them in cubes and serve them as an appetizer, as a pizza topping, in a pasta sauce or in a sandwich !!!

Cristina for Peas & Peace

Breakfast, RECIPES

Almond Butter Overnight Oats

Servings: 4

Ingredients


1 cup of almond milk
1/2 cup unsweetened almond butter
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste
2 cup of oats



Instructions


1. In a blender combine the milk, almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Blend until smooth.2. In a bowl mix the milk mixture to the oats.
3. Divide between verrines, ramekins or other. I added berries, almond slivers and white chocolate pearls as toppings ! 4. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Enjoy cold the next morning 🙂 !

Cristina for Peas and Peace

Bread, Focaccia, Pizza

Whole Wheat, Pumpkin & Sesame Seed Bread

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Ingredients

– 4 cups whole wheat flour
– 2 cups warm water
– 1 Tbsp instant yeast
– 1/2 Tbsp of sea salt
– 1 Tbsp olive oil
– 1 Tbsp of agave
– 1 Tbsp grounded flaxseeds
– 1 Tbsp of sunflower seeds
– 1 Tbsp of pumpkin seeds
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Instructions

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

You can use your mixer by using the dough attachment or you can mix by hand

1. In a large bowl combine: whole wheat flour, instant yeast, salt, olive oil, agave, grounded flaxseeds, sunflower & pumpkin seeds.
2. Add a bit of the water at a time to get the right consistency. You can always add extra flour if you feel that the dough is too wet. It should not stick to the sides of the bowl. Shape into a ball.
3. Grease your Dutch oven pot with olive oil with a brush, making sure you put enough oil on the sides as well so it does not stick. and transfer the dough ball into it.

4. Cover and let rise for 60 minutes.
5. In the meantime, preheat the oven at 390°
6. When the oven is preheated, slash the bread with a knife, making a cut about 1 ½-inch deep or 3 diagonals are also pretty, as you wish !
7. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes, or until deep golden brown and risen. You can use a toothpick or cake tester to double check if it is properly cooked in the inside.
8. Remove bread from the oven and let it rest in the Dutch oven pot for 10 minutes.
9. Remove from the pot and let it cool down before slicing.

Enjoy this healthy delicious bread, dip it in olive oil or as a sandwich ! 🙂

Cristina for Peas and Peace

Desserts, RECIPES

Lemon-Almond Meal Bites

*Gluten Free

Makes 8 portions

For the Bites

  • 2 cups almond meal
  • dash salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp corn starch
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tbsp agave 

For the glaze:

  • 1/2 cup powdered (Icing) sugar
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Sprinkled with fine rock sugar (Optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven at 350. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond meal, salt, baking soda, corn starch, and lemon zest. Add almond milk and agave. Mix until combined.
  3. Roll dough into a large ball and press (I used a cutting board lol) down into a 1 1/2″ thick disk. Cut into 8 equal pieces. Do not separate them. Bake for 11 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
  4. To make the glaze, place powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Add vanilla extract. Slowly add in lemon juice mixing constantly, make sure to only add a small amount of juice at a time.until you have reached your desired consistency. Use a pastry brush to brush glaze over cooled bites, give them one coat, let dry, recoat, let dry and so on until you have no more glaze left. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Enjoy !

Cristina for Peas & Peace

Desserts, RECIPES

5 Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Mousse

You can make this mousse in 5 minutes, literaly ! just pull out your blender and voila you have yourself a treat in no time.

Ingredients (serves 2)

  • 2 large ripe avocados
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup of almond milk
  • 3 tsp of agave
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Toppings of your choice 🙂

I used chocolate pearls, roasted hazelnuts & a macadamia nut, sprinkled with cocoa powder

Directions:

Purée in a blender or food processor the avocado until smooth.

Mix in together the cocoa powder and milk until well combined.

Add the agave and vanilla extract and blend well one last time.

Transfer the mousse to individual bowls or glasses and store in the fridge until ready to eat.

Delicious and healthy !

Cristina for Peas and Peace

Desserts, RECIPES

Cookie Sandwiches

Imperfect but oh so delicious !

*Makes 18 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

COOKIES

  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup of grapeseed oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp almond essence
  • 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup of almond meal

FILLING

  • 150 g vegan dark (70 % cacao) chocolate
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp of coconut milk (Can)
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup

METHOD

COOKIES

  1. In a bowl, whisk up maple syrup, oil, vanilla and almond essence until well combined.
  2. Fold flour into the wet ingredients together with salt.
  3. Finally fold in almond meal until fully combined. The dough should be thick and sticky.
  4. Refrigerate the dough for 60 minutes.
  5. Pre-heat the oven to 355° F and shape the dough into 36 even portions (I used a 1 1/4 scoop), place each ball on a baking tray leaving some room around each cookie.
  6. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass or a spatula.
  7. Bake for about 15 mins. Remove the biscuits from the oven, transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool down completely.
  8. Place some of the ganache on half of the cookies and top with the other half of the cookies.

FILLING

  1. Place roughly chopped up chocolate in a large glass or metal bowl together with coconut milk.
  2. Place the bowl over a pot of water (make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl) and bring the water to a simmer.
  3. Let simmer without stirring, until all the chocolate has melted.
  4. Take the bowl off the heat and whisk the coconut milk / chocolate mixture until combined. Mix in maple syrup.
  5. When the mixture cools down, cover the bowl with cling film and leave it in the fridge for a few hours until it has hardened. You are now ready to sandwich your cookies !

Enjoy !

Cristina for PEAS & PEACE

Desserts, RECIPES

Red Velvet Cupcakes


Recipe makes 12 cupcakes 

Cupcakes:

1 + 3/4 cup all purpose flour 

1 tbsp cocoa powder 

2 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda 

2 tbsp red beet powder 

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup of sugar

1 1/2 cups unsweetened oat milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup coconut oil (Melted)

1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Vanilla buttercream: 

200g dairy free butter 

3 cups icing sugar 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1 tbsp cold coconut milk

Topping:

Sprinkle with colors of your choice for a little shimmer 🙂


Preheat the oven to 338F/170C.

Prepare 12 muffin pan with paper liners and set aside. 


In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, red beet powder & salt. Add in sugar, oat milk, vanilla, coconut oil, vinegar, mix until well combined. Divide batter evenly in a 12 muffin pan. Bake for 20 mins or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream 
Whip butter in the stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, on high speed for 2 minutes. Stop mixer and add the icing sugar. Mix on low speed until incorporated , scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and then add vanilla and coconut cream, mix on high speed for 3 minutes, until smooth. 
Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.

You will truly enjoy these cupcakes !

Cristina for Peas and Peace

Desserts, RECIPES

Oatmeal Cookies

*Makes 4 large cookies

INGREDIENTS

Dry ingredients

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup oat flour
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

  • 3 tbs melted coconut oil
  • 2 tbs coconut sugar
  • 2 tbs pure maple syrup
  • 1 flax egg  (1 tbs flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water, whisk together and let set for 15 minutes)
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

*Powdered sugar to sprinkle (Optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchement paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients
  4. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir and fold until well mixed.
  5. Use a 2 inch ice cream scooper and drop cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet—spaced evenly apart. Using a fork, flatten cookies about halfway. Cookies will spread during baking.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes. Place baking sheet on a cooling rack, allowing the cookies to firm up and sprinkle with icing sugar if you wish .
  7. Allow to cool for 1 hour if you will be storing them.

Enjoy with a cappuccino or a chai latte !

Cristina for Peas and Peace

Desserts, RECIPES

Coffee Pecan Cake

INGREDIENTS

PECAN CAKE


Dry ingredients

  • 1½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup finely ground pecans
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¾ cup icing sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans to decorate

Wet ingredients

  • ¾ cup + 1 tbsp of almond milk
  • ¼ cup espresso
  • ¼ cup melted coconut oil

COFFEE FROSTING

  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ¼ cup espresso
  • 1½ cups raw cashews, soaked in boiling water for 20 min

INSTRUCTIONS

CAKE

  1. Set the oven at 355° F. Grease a loaf pan with neutral spray oil.
  2. Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the remaining dry ingredients: ground pecans, baking soda, baking powder and icing sugar. Mix everything well.
  3. Add all the wet ingredients and fold them gently into the dry ingredients until texture is smooth.
  4. Fill the pan with the batter and place in the preheated oven for approximately 30-35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
  5. Let the cake cool down completely before removing it from the pan, you can now ice it and top it with chopped pecans.

COFFEE FROSTING

Put maple syrup, vanilla extract and espresso at the bottom of a blender. Add approximately one quarter of the drained cashews and blend until super smooth then add another quarter of cashews, blend and so on.

Enjoy !!!

Cristina for Peas and Peace 🙂

Desserts, RECIPES

Roasted Almond Chocolates

5 ingredients only and you have yourself a little treat in no time, either for yourself or as a gift !

  • makes 15 chocolates

Ingredients:

1/2 cup melted cocoa butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp of vanilla
2/3 cup cocoa powder
45 Roasted almonds, you can also use salted roasted almonds if you wish

1. Melt the cocoa butter in a pan. Remove and add maple syrup & vanilla. 
2. Using a whisk, add cocoa powder and mix until smooth.


Place 2 whole almonds into each of a silicone chocolate mold bottom, then cover with chocolate. Top with an almond or 2….. 🙂


Place in the freezer to firm up for about 15 mins

Remove from mold and place in mini muffin cups of your choice.

Enjoy !

Cristina for Peas and Peace

Breakfast, RECIPES

4 Ingredient Waffle recipe !

  • Makes 8 waffles
  •  2 & 1/4 Cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder
  • 1/4 Cup Vegan Butter 
  • 1 & 2/3 Cups of Unsweetened Almond Milk

Combine the flour and baking powder. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal.  Add in the water and whisk. Pour into a hot waffle iron. Should you want to add chocolate powder or chocolate chips or vanilla is also fun, just to change it up

I then also have fun in topping them with fruit, dust icing sugar, powder chocolate in this case, and let’s not forget maple syrup ! Yum !

If any leftover, simply pop them in the toaster !

Enjoy !

Cristina for Peas & Peace

Desserts, RECIPES

SOFT PUMPKIN COOKIES

These cookies are so soft, like biting into a cloud

*Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients cookies

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup softened vegan butter
  • 1 1/4 cups pumpkin purée
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp salt

For the pumpkin spice icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons soya milk
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Neutral spray oil for cookie scoop

  1. To make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. 
  2. Add the sugar and vegan butter to a large bowl and use a mixer to cream the sugar and butter together. Add the pumpkin and vanilla extract and mix in. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt and mix well to combine.
  3. Lightly spray a cookie scoop with neutral oil, scoop the cookie battre and drop it onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat to fill your tray, evenly spacing the cookies. Bake for 15 minutes until the cookies are golden. Let the cookies cool completely before icing.
  4. Sprinkle top with coarse sugar if you wish.

  1. To make the icing: add the powdered sugar, soya milk, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle over the cookies. Let the cookies rest to set the icing. Store the cookies at room temperature for up to a week or freeze in an air-tight container.