Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

     I'm a chocoholic.  I admit it.  One of my favorite candies were Reese's Peanut Butter cups...the miniatures.  YUM!  Now, since I'm cutting my sugars and GMO intake, I have to try and find a substitute.  I had a friend ask me for some healthy dessert recipes - which made me do some digging!  I found this recipe floating around on Facebook and made some of my own modifications to it and TADA!  These cookies are fabulous and definitely help a chocoholic, like myself, out when we are having one of our cravings.  These cookies are super moist (there is no flour!) and delicate.  I store them in the fridge to preserve their freshness.  I did use regular chocolate chips when I baked these up (I'm still working on cleaning out my cupboards and using up the last of my not-so-healthy ingredients), but there are other chocolate chips you can use that are healthier.  Hershey's, Nestle's, and Ghirardelli's all contain GMOs.  I did a quick internet search and found that Trader Joe's brand of chocolate chips is GMO free!  They also use pure cane sugar in the chocolate chips and a 12 ounce bag sells for $1.99.  What a deal!  Now, on to this yummy recipe!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c canned chickpeas (this is a little less than a can - rinse well and pat dry)

2 t pure vanilla extract

1/2 c + 2 T almond butter

1/4 c honey (try to use raw)

1 t baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 c chocolate chips (chocolate chips have sugar in them, but the amount per cookie is pretty minimal)

Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine all the ingredients, except for chocolate chips, in a food processor or blender.  Blend until smooth, scraping sides periodically.

3. Fold in chocolate chips.

4. With wet hands (because the mixture is sticky), form into 1 1/2" balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Press down on the balls to flatten them slightly. 

5. Bake for about ten minutes, let cool and enjoy!  You can store these in the refrigerator to ensure freshness.  You can also try using natural peanut butter instead of almond butter.

 

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Yummo Taco Bowls

Yummo Taco Bowls

     These taco bowls are a favorite in our house.  The key to keeping them healthy is using ground turkey instead of ground beef (I no longer eat beef or pork since I'm a blood type A and it's harder for us to digest), organic blue corn chips (non-GMO), and lots of lettuce (always incorporate greens in your meals when you can!!).  I still eat low-fat sour cream in moderation as well as some cheese in certain dishes.  I do buy cheese from a local farm in the area, though, to try and avoid overuse of antibiotics and hormones in the dairy products.  My next  adventure is going to try and track down local raw cheese to use in some dishes, but that's another post! 

                Another healthy tip is to make your own taco seasoning.  Have you ever looked on the back of a taco seasoning packet in the grocery store??  Yuck!  Most of them contain MSG (monosodium glutamate) - which is a horrible food additive!  There  is research from independent studies that shows that MSG can lead to Alzheimer's disease, asthma, autism, depression, epilepsy, high blood pressure, inflammation, obesity, and many more serious health conditions.¹  Check out this website for more information: http://msgtruth.org/.  This website was created by a food process engineer and food scientist who worked for huge food companies.  She then left these companies and shared all of the information that she had learned about the dangerous food additives that companies put in their processed foods.  She felt she needed to inform the public on these dangerous chemicals that are sold in supermarkets every day.  So check it out, it's a very interesting read!    

      Now, on to the recipes!

Taco Seasoning Ingredients:

1/2 c chili powder

1/4 c onion powder

1/8 c ground cumin

2 T garlic powder

1 T paprika

1 T kosher or sea salt

Yummo Taco Bowl Ingredients:

Organic Blue Corn Chips

Lettuce

Shredded Cheese (try to buy organic, locally farmed cheese)

1 pound ground turkey

Taco seasoning (homemade)

Low-fat sour cream (optional)

Diced onions

Salsa, Guacamole, Taco Sauce (optional)

Steps:

1.  Make your taco seasoning by mixing the ingredients listed above for the taco seasoning ingredients.

2.  Brown your ground turkey.  Add some of your taco seasoning to the turkey (I don't have an exact measurement here - sorry!  I'm one of those people who "eyeball" it, taste, add more lol.   Maybe start with 1/4 cup - 1/3 cup  and see if you want more flavor after it simmers for a bit).  Also add 3/4 cups of water and let it simmer while stirring occasionally.

3.  Crush blue corn chips in a bowl and put shredded lettuce on top.  Add your taco meat, cheese, sour cream and any other toppings of your choice.  Enjoy!! 

 

Resources:

1. http://msgtruth.org/states.htm

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