Gluten-free & Vegan Maple Date Squares

Salut world!

It's Friday & your Gurl is back with this delightful and super easy, vegan, and gluten-free, Maple Date Square recipe.
I secretely wanted to make giant cake after seeing the below meme but decided that a small batch of date squares would suffice.
                        
I go through phases with date squares; like, gimme gimme and then, no touchie for a long while.
I first fell for date squares when this place called Commensal used to make them. They were an amazing vegetarian resto back in the day which sadly went the way of the dino. I liked their squares cuz they were oatty, not-too-sweet, and rich, buttery, goodness.
Sadly, they had gluten and I stopped indulging long before Commensal restos closed.
At the time gluten-free was basically new and unheard of, many people thought I was being over the top with my allergies and my health.
Ha! If they could see things now.
                                    

                                            

I woke up a few weeks ago and said, "Today is a date square day!"
And so, this recipe was born.
I think you will truly like the ease of it and I kept it small so you could have a little treat for that vegan/gluten-free guest, you will be seeing more of.
Seriously though, you can make them just for you and freeze what remains. Mine lasted a good month in our chest freezer, and sharing yummy noms is always appreciated.
Have fun making them and by all means, get the little one's involved!

Maple Date Squares for 1-2 people:

Base:

1/2 cup quick oats ground to slightly coarse flour

1/4 Cup ground almond flour

2 Tbsp of 1 flax egg (1tbsp flax with 3 Tbsp water)

1 Tbsp coconut sugar

2 Tbsp ground pecans

1/4 cup ground tiger nuts

1 /4 tsp bs

Pinch pink salt

1 Tbsp earth balance soy free

1 Tbsp organic coconut oil 

Pinch cinnamon 

For topping:

Reserve 3 Tbsp flour mix from base dry mixture before adding fats and flax egg

1/4 cup oats

1/4 cup ground walnuts

1 Tbsp coconut sugar

1 Tbsp ground pecan

1 Tbsp ground tiger nuts

1 Tbsp coconut flour

1 1/2 Tbsp earth balance 

I like a lot of crumble topping, you can sprinkle less of the completed mixture if you prefer a thinner crumble. Keep the leftover for putting on yogurt of choice. 

For filling:

6 medjool dates soaked pits removed

3 Tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp Vanilla

1 Tbsp flax egg that remains 

Pinch sea salt

1/3 cup oat milk unsweetened 

Blend all in mixer until almost smooth, I keep a few small chunks but not big one’s.

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

-Combine base mix ingredients remembering to reserve 3 Tbsp for crumble topping, press into loaf pan.

-Prep topping mix and reserve.

-Prep filling mix by blending filling ingredients in a processor.

-Smooth our date layer over base

-Crumble mixture on top (Do Not Press Down!) 

-Bake in a loaf pan for 12 minutes then turn 1/2 way and bake for another 6-10 minutes until a golden brown.

-Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares. 

(I like to chill mine as I prefer them cold but do what works for you.)

-Store in an airtight container overnight on counter or up to a week in the fridge. 

                                      

                                     

               My last bite that I scarfed down with a lovely glass of cold, unsweetened almond milk!

Let me know how this recipe turned out for you or if you have any questions, leave them in the comments down below.

Take care, be well, love freely...

Chef Kiki

Tajin Mango & Watermelon Salad

Salut!

Yes my loverlies, I have finally returned. Just in time for Tasty Tuesday!
It has been very rough this summer and I had to step back from everything, unfortunately, that included blogging. As we are in August and summer will soon be drawing to a close, I wanted to post something delectable, simple, and perhaps new for your taste buds!
Tajin was something I discovered recently in town.

I went to Oui Mango after running errands in the Alexis Nihon mall in the downtown core here in Montreal.
Here's an article link that talks more about these wonderful people who are working hard to share something delicious from another culture with all of us:
https://montreal.eater.com/2019/6/27/18761356/oui-mango-montreal-restaurant-opening-pizza-new-yorkaise-bibiko-minowis

When I am out and about, I have few pickings in the gluten free realm, especially when I am pressed for time and want something healthy but flavourful.  I had never heard of this before and the Chef in me went bonkers after my first bite. I took it in the traditional way, which uses three simple ingredients.
Fruit, Tajin seasoning and lime.
I watched it being prepared and realized I could re-create it with ease.
I don't live in town anymore and traveling for a zesty, spiced mango kick for 2 hours is not gonna happen.
I found the Tajin at our local Asian market where they have a well stocked section of products from Cuba, Mexico, and more.
It was $2.99 for the little shaker bottle. Coupled with a few mangoes and limes, I had a mini-tajin mango feast in the making for less than $10, to share, and scarf down.
As I was making the recipe and realized that I could totes throw in some watermelon I had in the fridge, to the mix.

Success!
I did a simple pic layout down below for you to see how to best cut the fruit. For those more skilled in the kitchen this may seem utterly ridiculous but not everyone is sure of themselves in culinary settings. I prefer to give too much info than not.

Enough blabbing, you came for fruity goodness and I shall deliver!

TAJIN MANGO & WATERMELON SALAD:

Ingredients:

1 Cup cubed cut fresh watermelon
1 /12 Cups cubed fresh mango
1 tsp Tajin spice mix (I add more but start with kess and add as you go after the lime juice because it can be a bit intense for some)
Juice of 1/2 lime fresh squeezed.

Method:

-In a bowl combine the fruit and sprinkle with the Tajin seasoning. Stir gently.

-Sprinkle fresh lime juice over top, mix gently. Add more Tajin seasoning if you like.

-Serve immediately or chill in fridge for 1 hour.

I had to taste test as I went along because what kind of a monster doesn’t do that before posting a recipe?!?

Feel free to omit either of the fruits, if you are allergic or don't like one of them.

Super refreshing and has a nice tart, limey, salty, sweet kick! You’re going to love it and so will those you serve it to.

On a little side note, my son prefers watermelon minus the tajin but liked the mango. My mother tried both and said they were good but watermelon was not as good as the mango. I enjoy both but choose which combo or single flavour floats your boat!

There will be some more gluten-free noms coming, so keep checking back! Perfect bites to sink your teeth into for the school year and upcoming fall season, here’s a sneak peek!

I love to hear from yah so leave your questions or comments down below.

Take care, be well, love freely.

Chef Kiki

Freeyumm Gluten-free Bars Review

         

                 
Helloodles Loverlies!

I went for a zip out to the health food store to get some organic produce, and discovered these new bars! Holy Hannah was I ever a happy camper! I decided they deserved a Bien Confit! Gluten free food review.
       

Yes, they needed stars around thars, to magnify the awesomeness of tasty treatdom!
They are free of the top 9 priority allergens and they taste really good, like, seriously good!
               

My fav is the honey apple and oat but I also tested the raspberry chia, as well as the blueberry oat bars. Nice texture, good bite, a small crumb, wrapped in a fruity and oat, well balanced, yummy bar!
I was well-behaved and stayed away from the chocolate.
This is a tough allergy I have redeveloped, but contend with it I must, so I do.
I will admit, that it is not always easy, but it is a journey and I am making the effort.
Back to bars, yup, these are a new staple in my pantry. I like that they are not overly sweet, do not give me a sugar high headache or hurt the teeth, and don't taste chemically saccharine. I really like that they are a petite snack size and I can read along and understand EVERY ingredient.
I had stepped away from prepared bars because they were just doing awful things to my stomach, they were gluten-free but they had other allergy or digestive issue triggers. These are doing great, and the taste blew me away! I shared one with a work colleague, who recently went gluten-free, and she took a pic of the package and was going out to buy some asap.
                 

I paid $5.49 at Tau, for a box of 5 cutesie, delightful bars, and have been such a satisfied customer; that I returned to buy 3 more boxes!
Some might feel the price is a bit high for the size of the bars, to this I say, (as a professionally trained chef, who makes her own products to sell, and has been responsible for costing in a myriad of kitchens) the price is very reasonable and fair.
Yes, the bars are smaller but that is a GOOD thing.
                                      
We eat way too much, super sizing does not equal value or bang for your buck.
                             

I have always believed that less is more, too much of anything is not a good thing, and that we as a North American society have seriously distorted perceptions of what proper portion sizes are, thanks to the fast food world dominating our psyches.
                            
Perhaps because I am from Quebec, where we take a more European approach to food, (although we have adopted some bad habits as of late) I prefer something that meets dietary needs, (not to be confused with wants) is portioned properly, helps me when time is constrained for snack prep, is of great quality, and is obviously made with love and understanding to my allergy/health struggles.
Your kids will want to eat these bars and they will not be triggering the allergies of kids around them or their own.

Oh! By the way, they are GMO free! They also have cookies but I did not try them yet.
                                      



                                        

                                       
I am using them in my portion controlled, healthy, whole food, meals for work and on the road. The taste is a bit nutty, with the right touch of sweetness, and it feels satisfying without feeling deprived. I have also noticed that the variety makes my taste buds happy, and I do not get food bored. I know, I know, first world probs but I am being honest.I am seriously thinking of doing a back-to-school giveaway with these bars in the fall. Yes, that good!
I suggest that you try these out and tell a friend, they really are a bar of Yumm Yumm Yumm!
(No, they didn't pay me for any of this, did not give me any free bars to try, I literally liked them and geeked out that much, as to copy the tag line on the packaging.)
                                           

What are you still doing reading?
Get out there and snag some of these, here is the link to the company site:
http://www.freeyumm.com/our-goodies/

                                     

Take care, be well, love freely!

The Best Raw Vegan Banana Bread Sticks

                         

Yipeeee!

Nana bread lovey's, and she be rawfood vegan goodness! 

Wait, she be awesome with a cape on yo banana goodness! Teehee...

I came up with this recipe this week because I had so many bananas in the freezer that I had to do something with a few of em'. 

I need to cop to something, I usually dislike banana anything in rawfood except for eating a real banana alone or bananas that are dried in lime juice-will post that recipe another day. Yep, banana dehydrated stuff is not my cup of tea but like I said, there was an avalanche of bananas to contend with. These breadsticks are super deelish! It was a pleasant surprise that they came out so yummy and they were liked by all who tried them, double win!

                          

It made a full tray, I didn't dare make more in case I did not likey. Now I know and will be "unbaking" them more often, you need to get the kids in on making these as they will enjoy smashing up the bananas; there is also no "cooking" involved so let them have fun. One of the things I appreciate about rawfood is that old and young alike can make this food.

This recipe is part of stocking up your pantry in prep for the 30 Day Self-Love Detox Challenge, there will be some more lovely recipes this week so you need to come back and you should subscribe to get them sent directly to your inbox, in case you have not already.

Without further ado, banana bread crisped delightfulness.

THE BEST RAW VEGAN BANANA BREAD STICKS

makes 1 Excalibur tray

Ingredients:

(I use organic, try to do the best you can with what you can afford. The coconut oil really does need to be cold-pressed though.)

2 Very ripe bananas mashed

3/4 Cup almond pulp leftover from making almond milk (recipe link below)

1/2 Cup Brown flax ground

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 Cup coconut flour

1/2 Cup date paste (recipe follows below milk recipe)

1/2 tsp Fresh scraped nutmeg

1 Tbsp coconut oil cold pressed unrefined

3 Tbsp Dark Maple syrup (grade B)

1/8 tsp Walnut oil (DO NOT use more!)

1 Cup Raw Sunflower seeds, soaked 2-3 hours, drained & rinsed well

2/3 Cup almond milk mixed with 1/4 Cup water (almond milk recipe below)

Method:

-In a blender mix sunflower seeds with almond milk & water mixture until a thick paste forms. Place in a bowl with mashed bananas, maple syrup and vanilla.

-Add date paste, nutmeg and coconut oil, mix together well.

-Add all dry ingredients to wet and mix until well combined, the flax seeds will give you a very thick dough.

-On a teflex or parchment lined Excalibur dehydrator tray, spread dough out to about 1-1 1/2 inch thickness, square off edges.

Place in dehydrator on rawfood 105 degree setting, for 2 1/2 hours, remove and score with a knife into rectangular "sticks". (See the pics down below) Put back in the dehydrator for 10 hours.

-Check to see if the sticks are getting to a medium pliable bread consistency, you need to make sure they are not too wet because they must be flipped onto a new Excalibur tray lined with the regular white tray sheet it comes with because you need the air to circulate over and around the sticks so they dry properly. 

-Place an Excalibur sheet lined tray (Do not use a teflex sheet, just the regular plastic white sheet the trays always come with) over the top of the sticks and quickly flip the tray over. You will be able to gently and slowly remove the teflex sheet or parchment paper. (Don't force it if they are not ready, place them back in if it is too hard to remove)

-The score marks will be evident, at this point you can take some of the pieces and use them as warm bread for breakfast with nut spread and fruit if you like. Otherwise the sticks go back in the dehydrator for another 8-12 hours depending how crisp you like them. I left my sticks in for a total of 24 hours.

-Once dry, remove from the tray and gently break the sticks where the score marks are. Store in an airtight glass jar. These will keep for several weeks, if they don't all get eaten first! 

As always, pics follow below to help guide you along. Leave any questions or comments down below, I love to hear about your kitchen adventures.

                           

http://bienconfitglutenfree.blogspot.ca/search?q=date+paste 

                            

Gluten-free Raw Vegan Blueberry Bon-Bons & Agave Nectar Information

                            
Happy Monday Morning Lovelies!

Looks like it is time to make something delicious, I adore these blueberry charmers. I am sweetening these without using agave nectar, below the recipe I am including a whole bunch of well researched information on agave nectars and why it is so awful. I used to use this product but cut it out of my diet completely in 2011. The recipe follows after all the info, if that's what you came for, scroll down to after the last links.

Warmer weather is on the way and that means goodbye winter weight, hello healthy clean eating choices. I need snacks, quick, grab and go yum yums for the munching moments that come up. The problem is that all too often they are so sticky sweet that it hurts my teeth and gives me headaches. I have a sweet tooth but it seems that the level of sweet I like differs greatly from the average sugar monster. I gave up on "health" bars a long time ago and decided to make my own with way less sugar, a fraction of the cost, and ingredients that I could pronounce. 
I don't use agave, you may feel free to use it as a maple syrup replacement but a lot of information has come out on agave and after I researched and listened to how negatively my body responded to it, I gave it up. I don't miss it, I know it's big in the raw vegan world, which was where I first discovered it years ago, but it's not a healthy sugar or corn syrup alternative. As a matter of fact, it's not even raw. It goes through a serious process to come out like how we are used to seeing it and with a taste we like. In it's truly raw state, agave is very thick, almost black, and super bitter. That kind of agave has some medicinal properties but is used sparingly. In our North American way, we have denatured a product to suit our sweet tooth needs and have hoped for the best until we find out the worst. I was just as guilty of this as any other, I firmly believed that Agave nectar was raw and had a lower glycemic index than sugar, blah blah blah. New studies have actually come to find that it's just as bad if not worse than corn syrup because it's more quickly absorbed than corn syrup and has been processed to a point where it has no health benefits what-so-ever.
Here is a small excerpt from an article at the huffington post, the link follows underneath if you want to read more. And before all the haters start firing off, for the sake of balance, I have included a write up from another health site that says why Agave is not as bad as high fructose corn syrup. I give you the information, take what you like and leave the rest. All I know from my personal experience is that my body started reacting very negatively to Agave in a very short period of time and I never looked back. I don't want to have my stomach swelling, making horrible sounds, severe nausea and then itchy skin to be a part of my treat routine.

What is the "Real" Truth about Agave?
If you knew the truth about what's really in it, you'd be dumping it down the drain and that would certainly be bad for sales. 
Most agave "nectar" or agave "syrup" is nothing more than a laboratory-generated super-condensed fructose syrup, devoid of virtually all nutrient value, and offering you metabolic misfortune in its place. 
Unfortunately, masterful marketing has resulted in the astronomical popularity of agave syrup among people who believe they are doing their health a favor by avoiding refined sugars like high fructose corn syrup, and dangerous artificial sweeteners.
And if you're diabetic, you've been especially targeted and told this is simply the best thing for you since locally grown organic lettuce, that it's "diabetic friendly," has a "low glycemic index" and doesn't spike your blood sugar. 
While agave syrup does have a low-glycemic index, so does antifreeze -- that doesn't mean it's good for you.
Most agave syrup has a higher fructose content than any commercial sweetener ranging from 55 to 97 percent, depending on the brand, which is FAR HIGHER than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which averages 55 percent.
This makes agave actually WORSE than HFCS.
It is important to understand that fructose does not increase insulin levels, which is not necessarily good as what it does do is radically increase insulin resistance, which is FAR more dangerous. You see, it's okay for your insulin levels to rise, that is normal. You just don't want these insulin levels to remain elevated, which is what insulin resistance causes.
That is why fasting insulin is such a powerful test, as it is a very powerful reflection of your insulin resistance.
In addition to insulin resistance, your risk of liver damage increases, along with triglycerides and a whole host of other health problems, as discussed in this CBC News video about the newly discovered dangers of high fructose corn syrup. The study discussed in this news report is about HFCS, however, it's well worth remembering that agave contains MORE fructose than HFCS, and in all likelihood, it's the FRUCTOSE that is causing these severe liver problems.
How Agave is Grown and Produced Proves it is Unnatural
Agaves grow primarily in Mexico, but you can also find them in the southern and western United States, as well as in South America. Agaves are not cacti, but succulents of the yucca family, more closely related to amaryllis and other lilies. Edible parts of the agave are the flowers, leaves, stalks and the sap. 
A mature agave is 7 to 12 feet in diameter with leaves that are 5 to 8 feet tall -- an impressive plant in stature, to be sure. There are over 100 species of agave, in a wide variety of sizes and colors.
Although the industry wants you to believe that agave nectar runs straight from the plant and into your jar, nothing could not be farther from the truth.
In spite of manufacturer's claims, most agave "nectar" is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from its pineapple-like root bulb. The root has a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of fructose molecules.
The process which many, if not most, agave producers use to convert this inulin into "nectar" is VERY similar to the process by which cornstarch is converted into HFCS1. 
Though processing methods can differ among manufacturers, most commercially available agave is converted into fructose-rich syrup using genetically modified enzymes and a chemically intensive process involving caustic acids, clarifiers, and filtration chemicals. Here is a partial list of the chemicals many producers use:
Activated charcoal 
Cationic and ionic resins 
Sulfuric and/or hydrofluoric acid 
Dicalite 
Clarimex 
Inulin enzymes 
Fructozyme 
How natural does this sound?
The result is highly refined fructose syrup, along with some remaining insulin.
Most agave "nectar" is neither safe nor natural with laboratory-generated fructose levels of more than 80 percent!
Is There Really a "Safe" Organic Agave?
Part of the problem leading to the confusion is that there are some natural food companies that are indeed committed to excellence and in providing the best product possible. But let me assure you that in the agave industry, this is the minority of companies. 
Nevertheless, these ethical companies seek to provide an outstanding product. There are a few companies who commit to and actually achieve these criteria and actually:
Work with the indigenous people, 
Use organic agave as the raw material, free of pesticides 
Process it at low temperatures to preserve all the natural enzymes 
Produce a final agave product that is closer to 50% fructose instead of over 90% 
Fructose is bonded or conjugated to other sugars and not floating around as "free" fructose, like HFCS, which is far more damaging. 
The VAST majority of companies however do not apply these principles and essentially produce a product that is, as this articles states, FAR worse than HFCS.
If you are going to use agave you will certainly want to seek out one of the companies that adhere to the principles above. However you will still need to exert caution in using it.
Just like fruit it is quantity issue. Fructose only becomes a metabolic poison when you consume it in quantities greater than 25 grams a day. If you consume one of the typical agave preparations that is one tablespoon, assuming you consume ZERO additional fructose in your diet, which is VERY unlikely since the average person consumes 70 grams per day.
Even a hundred years ago, long prior to modern day food processing, the average person consumed 15 grams a day.
Listen to YOUR Body
Many people will not be convinced by my arguments and data. They certainly can choose to do that but they are only hurting themselves. Fortunately there is a very simple way to learn if the fructose level you are consuming is safe.
When you consume fructose over 25 grams per day it will very likely increase its metabolic byproduct, uric acid, in your blood. So you can go to your physician and have a simple uric acid level done.
This is not a fasting test and is very inexpensive to do, it's typically free with many automated chemistry profiles.
If your level is above 5.0 you will want to consider reducing your fructose level until the level drops below 5.0. This will provide you with a valid, objective parameter to let you know if the information I am sharing is correct for you and your family.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/agave-this-sweetener-is-f_b_537936.html 

Why Agave Nectar is Not Worse Than High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Fructose is not inherently evil

Agave nectar is high in fructose, but so are many foods that we eat. This is Dr. Mercola’s main beef with agave nectar. And while it is true that agave is quite high in fructose, it is the most common form of sugar in all fruits. Dates, molasses, raisins, apples, honey, and even many vegetables and other plants are high in fructose. Fructose is a natural form of carbohydrate, and for thousands of years, it has been an important source of energy for the body.
In fact, fructose in live raw fruits is good for us! A scientific statement from The American Heart Association found that consuming limited amounts of fructose, in a pure form, had no negative effects on the majority of individuals. Other studies show that fructose, in limited amounts, may even reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Another study found that the beneficial fructans found in agave may help fight bone diseases such as osteoporosis, as well as other diseases such as diabetes and colon cancer. This research also suggested that fructans may promote the creation of beneficial gut bacteria, allowing for better absorption of calcium and magnesium (two important minerals for bone health).

Fructose & HFCS are not the same

There is no comparison between a natural form of fructose, such as in fruit or from agave, and the chemically-processed, pesticide-laden, genetically-modified High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). The fructose in agave is a slow release form of sugar. This means that, in comparison to HFCS, which spikes blood sugar levels, agave does not cause the stimulation insulin secretion that leads to harmful rises in blood sugar. What is more, the enzymatic processing of agave is very different from the process of High-Fructose Corn Syrup, which fabricates fructose out of the glucose made from the milled starch of corn.
For High-Fructose Corn Syrup, glucose chains in the starch are broken down into long chain lengths of glucose molecules. These long chains are less sweet, but offer easier viscosity and functionality than raw glucose.
Producers of HFCS are looking for this better viscosity and adaptability, as it allows them to add it, unnoticed, to virtually any substance. To do this, they dry the corn and mix it with water and sulfur dioxide.
From there, the starches are separated from the kernel, fiber and protein. The separated starch slurry is then processed at very high temperatures, mixed with acid, neutralized, and then treated with an enzyme to create a 42% fructose and 55% glucose syrup. It is these strong acids and caustic chemical additives that are believed to be related to mercury contamination in HFCS. Moreover, most HFCS is made from genetically-modified corn, adding yet another contaminant into the processing mix.
Organic agave nectar’s processing could not be further related from this aforementioned processing of High-Fructose Corn Syrup. Agave is processed through either the use of natural enzymes, or through the use of thermal hydrolysis. These processes are essentially used only to evaporate the nectar from the liquid juice that is extracted from the plant. The processing of agave is done in the exact same way in which bees make honey, whether through a natural enzyme in the bee’s stomach, or when they fan their wings to evaporate the natural water out of the sweet liquid before capping into the honey comb.
In essence, no refinement, beyond the evaporation of water, occurs in agave processing. To put this in perspective, one must consider that hydrolysis is a 100% natural process of molecule separation. The human body does it every day!
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/agave-nectar/  


And now, we move onto the recipe that you came for, I like these really cold and a bit hard so I keep them in the freezer but you can eat them room temp or cold out the fridge. 

                                 

GF RAW VEGAN BLUEBERRY BON-BONS:

Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cup ground almond flour
3 Tbsp ground tiger nuts
1 Tbsp cinnamon (yes, a tablespoon is right, not a teaspoon.)
1/4 tsp pink sea salt
1/4 Cup dried blueberries
2 Tbsp hemp protein powder 
3 Tbsp dark maple syrup
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil


Method:
-In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients, mix in blueberries, stir.
-Add oils and maple syrup, then mix with your hands, should clump together and easily form in your hands.
-Roll into bite sized balls, this recipe makes 12 regular sized bites but I make them a bit bigger so I get 10. Place on parchment paper as you roll them out so they don't stick.
-Chill in fridge for 2-3 hours, I like mine frozen but you can also make them and eat them room temperature.






These last 5-7 days in the fridge, (I always finish them before 7 days) and up to 4 weeks in the freezer (I don't keep them in the freezer longer because the nuts pickup flavours and get freezer burn quickly.)
This is a fun recipe to do with the kids because it's easy, no cooking or baking is involved, and they are fun to roll. I like to introduce raw vegan or healthy foods to people with these kinds of recipes. Leave your comments down below and don't forget to subscribe! 

Gluten-free Pecan Pie Fat Bombs-refined sugar-free, rawfood vegan, & paleo

                             
Bon Matin World!

It is Saturday and I am finally recovered from a nasty bout of sickness, happy to be here and deciding that it is a healthy, fat bomb, pecany goodness moment; which needs to be shared.

We are gearing up for my spring cleanse and I always prep my body in advance by switching my diet to a much healthier way of eating. It's time to begin the arduous task of ditching winter weight, get the fat kid status foods out, get back into working out mode, and that means healthy wholefoods! 

I am going to begin some fun noms with a recipe for healthy, refined sugar-free, quick snack, Pecan Pie Fat Bombs! I know that the keto fat bombs have heavy cream and or butter along with the nuts and other ingredients, however, I am steering clear of dairy as I am allergic and I prefer to get my body into vegan/vegetarian mode for cleanse prep. Don't be concerned, these beauties won't let you down and they're super tasty, really cute, little one pop bites of bliss, full of good-for-you fats. 

PECAN PIE FAT BOMBS

Ingredients:
2 Cups Chopped and ground raw pecans

3 Tbsp Ground Tiger nuts organic

2 Tbsp Ground golden flax seeds organic

3 Tbsp Coconut flour organic

Pinch pink sea salt

1/2 Cup date paste (link for recipe down below)

2 Tbsp Maple syrup

3 Tbsp Cold pressed organic coconut oil

*If you want to add a chocolate crunch to change up the recipe, add 2 tsp lightly ground organic cocoa nibs, get really fancy by adding cinnamon and a bit of chili!)

Method:

-Add dry ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined

-Add wet ingredients to dry and blend until combined

-Using a truffle scoop, scoop balls onto parchment lined tray

-Place in freezer for a good hour before serving, I like to keep mine frozen all the time and serve them straight from the freezer. The high fat content keeps them slightly soft.

* Remember, these are high in good fats but that means you are not to sit and scarf the lot of them in one sitting. Talk about a girdle busting, fatty liver inducing, gut pain problem waiting to happen. Moderation sweetpea's, that's the ticket! I eat one before my workout with a fruit or two within 45 minutes of my workout to give my body healthy fuel. 

For those of you concerned about fat you need to research all the new studies coming out about how important fat is in our diet. A healthy dose of fat is essential to allow the body to absorb vitamins and nutrients from other foods.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/pass-the-butter-cutting-saturated-fat-does-not-reduce-heart-disease-risk-cardiologists-say-1.4085453

              

I really enjoy using this little scooper, usually he only comes out to play during the holiday season. Look how sweet and tiny, they fit on my finger tips. Teehee!

              

                   All loaded and ready to be blasted by the cold of my freezer!

               

I pressed a few whole pecans on the top just to make them pretty and specify the nut used inside for people who were eating them, as I made a few different nut-based healthy snack recipes. Will post those later on for sure.

                          

Easy as pie, (pardon the pun) and quick to make, these are delightful! 

It's Rawfood, Vegan, Paleo, Wholefoods, Gluten-free fabulousness; enjoy! 

                                       

http://bienconfitglutenfree.blogspot.ca/2016/06/date-paste-rawfood.html