Bev's Recipe Collection

Ingredients:

½ cup whole almonds
½ cup flaked coconut
½ cup graham cracker crumbs (about 4 graham crackers)–could use gluten-free
2 Tbs honey granules (or sugar)
2 Tbs maple syrup
pinch of salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
12 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into pieces
⅔ cup honey granules (or sugar)
Juice of 2 lemons (about ½ cup)
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

1. Place the almonds and coconut in a food processor and chop until fine.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and process until combined.
3. Press into the base of a 8″ by 8″ dish.
4. Whip the heavy cream with an electric mixer until fluffy.
5. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
6. Pour over the crust and chill for several hours before serving.

From Blog of Joy

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (16 oz) container salsa (I use Newman Own’s medium salsa)
½ green bell pepper, chopped (about ½ cup)
1 (15 oz.) can organic sweet corn, drained
1 (16 oz.) can chili beans, not drained
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 cups crushed organic corn chips
1 cup firmly packed fresh kale (or spinach)
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained well (or about 1 cups fresh chopped tomatoes)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Place the beef and onion in a skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Cook until browned;
strain and rinse.
2. Return the cooked beef to the skillet and add the remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture to
a simmer.
3. Place the crushed corn chips on the bottom of a greased 9″ by 13″ baking dish.
4. Spoon half the bean mixture over the chips. Spread the kale (or spinach) on top. Add the
remaining bean mixture. Sprinkle on the diced tomatoes.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese and cook another 5
minutes. The casserole should be warm and bubbling.
6. Serve with sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro if desired.

From Blog of Joy

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 pound ground beef
• 8 oz. salsa
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 (15 oz) can organic sweet corn, drained
• 1 (15 oz) can chili beans, not drained
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper

In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil for a few minutes. Add the garlic and saute until onion is soft. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Strain and rinse. Return the beef to the skillet and add the remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Prepare the toppings.

• 2 C crushed organic tortilla chips
• 1 C firmly packed fresh spinach (or kale)
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained well (or about 1 C fresh chopped tomatoes)
• 2 C shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• cilantro, chopped

Place the crushed tortilla chips on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13″ baking dish. Spread the spinach on top. Spoon the bean mixture over the spinach. Sprinkle on the diced tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese and cook another 5 minutes. The casserole should be warm and bubbling. Serve with sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro if desired.

Serves 8

My daughter Joy created this recipe. As always, I slightly adapted it. 🙂

For the Bars:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 5 tablespoons liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave, etc.), or to taste
• pinch of sea salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup rice crisp cereal

Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. In a pot over low heat, gently melt the coconut oil and then whisk in the rest of the crunch bar ingredients (except the rice crisp) to taste. Once the mixture is smooth remove from heat and stir in the rice crisp cereal. Pour mixture into prepared pan, smooth out, and then freeze for 10-15 minutes, or until the chocolate is solid.

For the Peanut Butter Drizzle:

• 2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter (or any nut/seed butter of choice)
• 1.5-2 teaspoons coconut oil, as needed to thin out
• 1 teaspoon liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave, etc.)

Melt the coconut oil and then whisk in the peanut butter and liquid sweetener. Adjust to taste if desired. Scoop into a plastic baggie. Remove crunch bars from the freezer and cut into 12 small bars. Snip a tiny hole in the baggie and drizzle the PB mixture onto the bars (you can also try drizzling it with a spoon, if desired). Return bars to the freezer until the PB drizzle is solid, about 5 minutes. Serve straight from the freezer or fridge. Bars will melt slightly at room temperature so I don’t suggest keeping them out long. Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer.

From Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

• Handful fresh kale or spinach leaves (about ½ cup packed)
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 Tbs coconut oil
• 1 scoop dietary fiber or protein powder (optional)
• ¼ cup vanilla yogurt (optional but delicious)
• ½ cup + 2 Tbs vanilla almond milk (It’s a odd amount because that’s what fits in my small Nutri-Bullet cup, but you can use as much has you’d like)
• 2 ice cubes (to chill the smoothie a bit)

Place the ingredients in a blender (I use a Nutri-Bullet) and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

From Blog of Joy

Crust:

1 1/2 cups almonds
2 Tbs coconut oil
2 tbs maple syrup
1 Tbs almond butter or peanut butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

Add the almonds into a food processor and process until fine crumbs, slightly larger than sand. Now add in the rest of the crust ingredients and process until the mixture comes together, scraping the side of the bowl as needed. The mixture should be a slightly tacky and should stick together when pressed with your fingers. If it’s not, add a very small splash of water and process again for a few seconds. Evenly press into a parchment lined 8″ x 8″ baking dish. Place in freezer while you prepare the filling.

Filling:

2 medium ripe bananas, peeled
1/4 cup coconut oil, softened slightly
2 Tbs almond butter or peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch sea salt, to taste

Give the processor bowl a quick rinse. Add all the filling ingredients into the processor and process until smooth. Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the filling on top. Smooth out. Return to the freezer for at least 1-2 hours to set, until the filling is very firm to the touch.

Chocolate Drizzle:

3 Tbs semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1 1/2 tsp coconut oil

When the filling is completely solid, prepare the topping. In a small pot heat the chocolate and coconut oil on the lowest heat, stirring to combine. When half of the chips have melted, remove the pot from the heat and stir until completely melted. Remove the bars from the freezer. Lift slab out of the pan and slice into squares. Spread out the squares on a plate lined with parchment paper. Drizzle on the melted chocolate and return bars to the freezer until the chocolate is firm and the bars are solid. Enjoy these bars frozen, straight from the freezer. They melt very quickly so I don’t suggest leaving them out for more than a couple minutes. Store leftovers in the freezer. Yields 16 small squares.

adapted from www.ohsheglows.com

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup honey granules (or sugar)
2 eggs, beaten well with a mixer
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and eggs; mix quickly.  Stir in the vanilla, flour, and salt. Pour into a 13″ x 9″ pan. Sprinkle the nuts over the fudge. Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

8 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup almonds, chopped in half
1/2 cup pecans, broken into quarters
1/2 tsp salt
4 t cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup honey

In a small skillet over medium-low heat, warm the coconut oil, honey, and spices. Pour over the oats in a large bowl and mix well. Stir in the nuts. Spread the granola evenly on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 330 degrees, stirring every 5 minutes until golden brown (15 minutes total). Be careful not to over-bake; it will crisp as it cools. Store in an airtight container.

• 3 1/2 cups oats
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 cups almond milk

Process oats in a food processor until ground, then add baking powder and salt; process again. Add honey and milk, and process until smooth. Pour batter onto two parchment-lined 11″ x 17″ jelly roll pans; spread evenly. With racks in the top half of the oven, bake at 375 degrees in a convection oven for seven minutes (8 minutes in a regular oven). Use a pizza cutter to cut crackers. Bake for 10 more minutes (13 minutes in a regular oven), until crackers are golden brown.

Based on recipe from recipeazaar.com

2 medium ripe bananas
2 eggs  (or two flax eggs if vegan)
1/2 cup natural, salted peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 Tbs honey (or maple syrup if vegan)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (or oat flour)
1/2 cup almonds meal (ground from raw almonds)
3 Tbs chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

Mash bananas in a mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, peanut butter, coconut oil, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the oats, flour, and almond meal and mix. Stir in the walnuts and raisins. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to harden. Drop cookies by spoonfuls on a baking stone or parchment lined pan.  The cookies won’t spread much when they bake, so you can place them 1″ apart. Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Let rest on the baking stone for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. After completely cooled, store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate or freeze for an even longer storage time.

Adapted from www.minimalistbaker.com