Vegan Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies and Smoothies too!

Vegan coconut chocolate chip cookies

Each year my husband and I are invited to give a wellness presentation to a self-care class for graduate students in social work. A friend of our's is the professor.

Like many people, the students in the class are overwhelmed by grad school, work and family responsibilities. We try to show them "bite-sized" ways to incorporate better eating, exercise, meditation. My favorite suggestion and one I employ frequently is doing a little focused breathing while standing in line. Nobody is really paying attention anyway so why not?

We like to introduce them to a few healthy-eating recipes. Sometimes that works; sometimes not. This year I thought why not make something I can eat. If they don't eat it, I will. I was blown away. The vegan, low-glycemic cookies containing avocado and banana were a hit. They gobbled them up; asked if they were paleo; and wanted the recipe. I didn't have to worry about finishing any of them up. They also wanted the recipe for the Artichoke Hummus we served with veggies.

Vegan Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
(recipe adapted from http://www.whatrunslori.com/2012/01/avocado-coconut-cowboy-cookies/)
Makes about 18 cookies.

1 cup coconut flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
2 ripe bananas
1/4 ripe avocado
1 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
2 T. agave syrup or honey
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 chia eggs (mix 2 T. chia seed with 3 T. water and allow to set for 10 minutes to gel) Note: the original recipe contained two eggs.
1/4 cup shredded coconut
2/3 cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life dairy-free kind) or cacao nibs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a food processor, combine bananas, avocado, almond milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, chia eggs or regular eggs and pulse to blend. Next add coconut flour, baking soda and powder, salt and continue blending. Finally, add chocolate chips and coconut and only pulse enough to blend in.

Spoon out about 2 T. of dough per cookie onto a baking sheet, sprayed with pan spray. Flatten slightly to form cookie shapes.

Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Artichoke Hummus recipe
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can artichoke pieces packed in water, drained
2 T. tahini
Juice of one lemon
Salt to taste

Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy.

Apple pumpkin pudding smoothie

In my continued struggles with fibromyalgia, I am finding that eating certain foods causes my muscle pains to worsen. For now, I am sticking with the anti-candida diet for the most part. The result is I am feeling better as I whip up plenty of green smoothies like Apple Pumpkin Pudding Smoothie and Persimmon Green Smoothie.

Apple Pumpkin Pudding Smoothie
(makes 1 serving)

Ingredients:
1 sweet apple (gala or honeycrisp)
1 cup non-dairy beverage (hemp, coconut, almond)
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)
1 cup of kale
stevia to taste
1 T. chia
1 T. seed or nut butter
Optional: 1 T. vegan rice protein powder
Pumpkin and/or hemp seeds for topping

Blend everything in a food processor or blender. Top with seeds if desired. Drink a great glass of nutrition.

Persimmon Green Smoothie

Persimmons continue to be in season. They are so delicious they can turn a green smoothie into a dessert (well, almost).

Persimmon Green Smoothie
(makes 1 serving)

Ingredients:
1 persimmon with stem removed
1 cup of spinach
1 cup of kale
1 cup of non-dairy milk
1 cup ice
stevia to taste
1 T. chia seed
1 T. nut or seed butter of choice
hemp seeds or 1 T. of vegan rice protein

Blend everything in your food processor or blender and enjoy!

Update: I tried this smoothie again this a.m. and added 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries. Even yummier!

Wake us when the food is ready.

Recipes contributed to:
http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/11/15/wellness-weekend-november-15-19-2012/