Coconut & Cardamom Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I made this for Thanksgiving dinner, it's so good!

Ingredients:
3 lb. Garnet Yams, skins left on
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t cardamom
1-2 T Maple Syrup
1/4 C. Coconut Milk or So Delicious Coconut Creamer (plain)
2 T pecans, toasted & chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes well and poke holes in them using a fork. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spray with olive oil to coat. Cook until tender, about 45 minutes. Potatoes are done when you can easily poke through to the center with a knife. Remove from oven and split lengthwise to cool.

While potatoes are still warm, scoop out flesh using a spoon into a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mash well using a hand masher. If potatoes are too thick, add more coconut milk. Season to taste with more salt & pepper if necessary and top with toasted pecans.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cardamom Scented Cookies!

I just made these and they're delicious!

2 c. Spelt Flour 3/4 c. Rolled Oats 1/2 c. chopped Walnuts 1 c. Grain Sweetened Chocolate Chips 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt 3/4 tsp. Baking soda 1/8 tsp Cinnamon Pinch Ground Cardamom 2/3 c. Agave Nectar 2/3 c. Grapeseed Oil 2 TBL Water or Almond Milk 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add wet mixture to dry and stir well with wood spoon. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Place by the tablespoon on a baking sheet lined with Parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Enjoy with a glass of cold Almond or Rice Milk. from Karmachow.com

Pumpkin Pie

 I made this last weekend for a family party. Ryan's whole family loved it.

Makes  8 servings
Your holidays will be complete with this healthful version of traditional pumpkin pie.
¹/₂ cup sugar or other sweetener
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¹/₂ teaspoon ground ginger
¹/₈ teaspoon ground cloves
¹/₂ teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin
1 tablespoon molasses
1 ¹/₂ cups fortified soy- or rice milk
1 9-inch Fat-Free Pie Crust or commercial pie crust
Preheat oven to 400°F. 
In a large bowl, mix sugar or other sweetener, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Blend in pumpkin, molasses, and non-dairy milk. Pour into crust and bake 15 minutes. 
Reduce heat to 350°F and bake 45 minutes. Cool before cutting. 

Fat-Free Pie Crust

Makes 1 9" crust

This crust is slightly sweet and chewy. It is much lower in fat and easier to prepare than traditional crumb crusts.

1 cup Grape-Nuts cereal
¹/₄ cup apple juice concentrate 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix cereal and apple juice concentrate and pat into a 9" pie pan. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Cool before filling. 

Per serving (1/8 of pie with Fat-Free Pie Crust):
182 calories
1.2 g fat
0.3 g saturated fat
6.1% calories from fat
0 mg cholesterol
3.8 g protein
41.3 g carbohydrate
20.1 g sugar
3.8 g fiber
268 mg sodium
86 mg calcium
5.6 mg iron
2.7 mg vitamin C
3690 mcg beta-carotene
1.4 mg vitamin E
Per serving (1/8 of pie with commercial crust)

• Calories: 198
• Fat: 6.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
• Calories from Fat: 27.8%
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 3.3 g
• Carbohydrates: 33.8 g
• Sugar: 17 g
• Fiber: 2.6 g
• Sodium: 280 mg
• Calcium: 81 mg
• Iron: 2 mg
• Vitamin C: 2.5 mg
• Beta Carotene: 3690 mcg
• Vitamin E: 1.3 mg

Source: Healthy Eating for Life for Children by Amy Lanou, Ph.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

This salad is rich in lycopene, a powerful carotenoid that has proven its importance in prostate cancer prevention and survival. Serve it with fresh bread or as a starter with light pasta dishes.

Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Directions Makes 6 servings 4 tomatoes, quartered and sliced 1/2 large cucumber, peeled, quartered, and sliced 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves 3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper Arrange the tomatoes and cucumber in a shallow bowl. Scatter the basil leaves on top, add the balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with the vinegar and pepper. Tomato, Cucumber, and Basil Salad is best served at room temperature shortly after it has been made. Nutrition Information Per serving (1/6 recipe): 20 calories 0.2 g fat 0 g saturated fat 10.4% calories from fat 0 mg cholesterol 4.3 g carbohydrate 1.3 g fiber 2.5 g sugar 1 g protein 5 mg sodium 11.8 mg vitamin C 487 mcg beta-carotene 0.5 mg vitamin E 17 mg calcium 2110.9 mcg lycopene Recipe from The Cancer Survivor's Guide

Karmic Raw Apple Pie

I made this pie yesterday and it was a hit. Such a good alternative to regular apple pie.

Crust

2 c.
Almonds, Walnuts or Pecans

1 c.
Dates, pitted & chopped

splash
Coconut Water

1 tsp.
Cinnamon

Filling

5
Apples, Cored & Chopped with skins on into ¼ inch slices (I use a mix of
apples, make sure to include 1 or 2 granny smith to give a tartness to the
mixture)

1 cup
Golden Raisins, soaked in 1 C. water for 4-8 hours (save soaking
water)

1 cup
Raw Cashews, soaked 4 hours

2 TBL.
Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup or to taste

1 tsp.
Cinnamon

1 tsp.
Nutmeg

½ tsp.
Allspice

1 tsp.
Vanilla

dash
Cardamom

1 Tbl.
Lemon Juice

Place cut up apples in a bowl with water to prevent them from turning brown.

Meanwhile, combine crust ingredients into
the bowl of a food processor and process until combined into a sticky ball. If
too thick add a little OJ or coconut water. Press into glass pie
dish.

Place cashews in blender with 1/4 raisin soak water, vanilla, spices and agave.
 Blend until creamy. If too thick, add more raisin water. Pour into
a bowl. Add raisins and stir by hand. Drain apples and pour cashew mixture over
the apples and stir to mix. Once evenly coated, pour into pie crust and chill
for 2 hours or until firm.

Garnish with fresh berries, cinnamon,
grated coconut or sliced almonds!

from Karmachow.com

Black and White Bean Chili

This is from the P90X nutrition plan

1 t canola oil
1 c onion, diced
2 c fat-free chicken broth, low sodium
6 oz canned tomato paste
4 oz green chilies, chopped
1 t cumin
16 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
16 oz canned navy beans, drained and rinsed

Serves 6

1. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the broth, tomato paste, chilies, cumin, and beans. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

202 calories
2 g Total Fat
15 g Protein
35 g Carbs
964 mg Sodium

Grilled Veggie Focaccia

This is from the P90X nutrition plan. Top these veggies on the focaccia bread that I posted about earlier...yum!

1 large portobello mushroom, sliced thin
1 large zucchini, sliced thin
1 large yellow squash, slicked thin
1-1/2 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 slices Italian focaccia bread

Serves 1

1. Grill or broil vegetables for 3 to 5 minutes using olive oil spray.
2. Place mozzarella cheese on one slice of bread, and toast until cheese is melted.
3. Place vegetables on same side as cheese and top with second slice of bread.

284 Calories
9 g Total Fat
19 g Protein
33 g Carbs
23 mg Cholesterol
467 mg Sodium