Power Balls using CocoCardio

I tried making my power balls recipe with the addition of the 'Coco Cardio' I purchased at iHerb. The Coco Cardio is a dark cocoa powder with beet and hibiscus powder added to it. These are powerful antioxidants that help oxygenate the blood and provide you with added energy. I love this stuff. I tried it in hot water as a cocoa drink for a chocolately fix, but it goes very well in baked goods, as it completely masks any flavor from the beets (they have a sweet earthy flavor). Naturopath approved!

These powerballs are delicious, high in protein, grain-free, paleo-friendly and have a good dose of fiber and healthy fat. Great for a snack or post workout. These are wonderful for children.

1 cup raw almonds - blend in food processor, then add the following:
1 cup dates
1/2 cup coconut flakes
4 tbsp Coco Cardio
1/2 cup hemp hearts (you could also use a combo of chia and ground flax)

if the mixture doesn't stick together after processing, add a couple tablespoons of agave or honey

form into 1 inch balls and refrigerate or freeze!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
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Where to get some pantry staples and COUPON CODE for iHERB.com!

As I mentioned in my last post I'll share with you some of the goodies I've recently purchased from iherb! I like getting inspired in the kitchen and keeping it fresh, so it's fun to try new products out once in a while, and getting my order last week did just that!
As a bonus, if you would like to place an order with iherb.com, you can use the following coupon code to give you up to $10 OFF your first order over $40!
COUPON CODE: NTK179

Ok, so you can see from the picture a few of the things I ordered:

Coconut sugar - a low glycemic sugar alternative - use exactly like you would regular sugar in your baking etc.


Coconut Flour - a paleo-friendly (grain-free) flour alternative, used in many of my baked goodies

Peanut Flour - a high protein grain-free flour alternative, can be added to smoothies, baked goods or make into nut-butter. Check out my peanut-butter cookie recipe in the previous post!

Coco Cardio - dark cocoa powder WITH beet and hibiscus flour. This is a heart healthy addition to warm drinks or baked goods. Use like you would cocoa powder. Check out my smoothie recipe in the previous post!

Agave - this is a nice pantry staple for using in dressings and some baked goods for sweetness in liquid form

Have fun in the kitchen!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
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Peanut Flour Goodies! High protein cookie and smoothies.

I have been having a lot of fun in the kitchen with some of the goodies I recently ordered online (I will post my source in an upcoming blog). I love playing around with new naturopathic ingredients! To start, I want to share with you my recipes with High Protein Peanut Flour. This product is basically peanuts that had the fat content roasted off and therefore is a high protein nutrient boost that can be used in the place of flour (cookies, bars), to make your own peanut butter (just add 1-2 Tbsp water to 1 Tbsp peanut flour) or into smoothies (1/4 cup has 16g of protein!!). This stuff tastes great, and I love that it is a great alternative for grains in paleo recipes!
This weekend I made the kids a smoothie:
1 banana
2 Tbsp Cocoa Cardio (More info on this in my next post!)
4 Tbsp Peanut Flour
2 cups Coconut Almond Milk (I love this stuff - comes in a 2 pack at costco, just the right sweetness for smoothies and baking!)

Blend it all up and drink! Tasted a lot like chocolate milk to be honest, and it wasn't overly peanut-y

Next I made these amazing high protein Peanut Butter cookies - great for an afternoon snack or post-workout. Paleo approved and kid approved!

Mix the following in a bowl:
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup peanut flour
1/4 cup ground flax
1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup honey or agave or maple syrup (sweeten to your preference)
1 egg (this is optional - the flax will bind it if you add a little water or milk alternative)

the dough is pretty firm. Roll into 1 inch balls and flatten on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min.

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
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Black Bean Brownies - Naturopathic, Paleo goodness!

We're known for showing off our baking at the clinic, and when Dr. Sarah brought in her adzuki brownie's last week it reminded me that I should dust off my own recipe. These brownies are high in fiber, protein, antioxidants, healthy fat and are grain free and vegan! And yes, the kids seemed to really like them (asking for seconds is a good sign). Here is my version:

Put the following ingredients into your blender:
1 ripe banana
1 cup almond milk
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 can of rinsed black beans
(option: if you have a great blender, you can add a full raw beet, peeled, into the ingredients. This takes the nutrition to a whole other level - I did so in the picture you are seeing and it gives it a bit of a reddish hue, such as a red-velvet cake would! the cocoa masks the beet taste!)

Blend until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth.

In another bowl mix 1/3 cup ground flax, 1/2 cup coconut flour, 1/2 cup dark cocoa, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp vanilla (optional 1 tsp cinnamon). Pour liquid mixture into your dry ingredients incorporating gently. Optional - add in 1/2 cup chocolate chips or carob chips at this point.

Pour into parchment lined 8x8 inch baking pan. Bake at 400C for 45 min.

Once cool, top with a thin layer of icing:

1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/4 cup honey. Let it cool and pour over brownies. Once you refrigerate this icing will get hard because of the coconut oil.
OPTION: instead of the icing melt some dark chocolate overtop.


Enjoy!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
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Pumpkin Protein Pancakes!

These Pumpkin Protein Pancakes are Delicious!
 Remember that pumpkin puree I made a while back (in the fall) by roasting some pumpkins? Well I had one bag left in the freezer and made some delicious protein pancakes over the weekend. These pancakes are not only high in protein, but are also 'paleo' since they are grain free.

Here is the ingredient list:
1 cup pumpkin puree
5 scoops Natural Factors Vegan Vanilla Protein Powder
1/2 cup Power Seeds (chia, hemp, ground flax)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients together and add almond/coconut milk to the desired consistency of your pancakes (thinner consistency makes thinner pancakes). Fry these in a little coconut oil.

Serve with Blueberry Chia Sauce!

Blueberry Chia Sauce:
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup chia
1/4 cup water
stevia or maple syrup to taste

simmer until thickened (10 min) and serve on top of pancakes! Naturopathic Indeed!

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
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Gluten-free Pizzas

Over the weekend we felt like having a pizza night, but to keep it clean and naturopathic I decided to try a couple gluten-free crust recipes. The first one was an eggplant based one (pictured on the right in the first photo) and the second one was made from gluten-free flour and was done easily in a skillet! Both turned out great!

Eggplant Pizza Crust:

• 1 eggplant, peeled
• 1/2 tsp  (2 mL)  salt
• 1/4 cup  (60 mL)  ground flaxseeds
• 3 tbsp  (45 mL)  Gluten-free flour (I used a blend, but you can use Bob's Mill)
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp  (15 mL)  olive oil
• 1/4 tsp  (1 mL)  pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Preparation

1. In large bowl, coarsely shred eggplant; stir in salt and let sit for 5 minutes. In handfuls or using cheesecloth, squeeze out excess liquid. In separate large bowl, thoroughly combine eggplant, flaxseeds, flour, egg, oil and pepper. On a piece of parchment press mixture into any shape, but 1/4-inch/5 mm thick. Slide parchment paper onto pizza stone (preheated) OR centre rack of 375°F/190°C oven; bake for 20 minutes.
2. Carefully slide crust out of oven; top with another parchment paper; lift both parchments and flip over; peel off top parchment. Apply your toppings and bake an additional 15-20 min at 400C.

Skillet Pizza:
2 cups gluten-free flour
2 Tbsp starch (corn, rice or arrowroot)
2 tsp Baking powder
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Add water (start with 1 cup) until you form a dough ball. Divide into 2 smaller dough balls and let sit 5 min. Heat a skillet (non-stick or cast iron). Add 1 tsp olive oil. Roll out one dough ball onto parchment into circle. Flip the dough into the hot pan (peel off parchment). Cook for about 4 min. per side (until light golden brown). Repeat with next dough ball. Apply toppings and bake 15-20 min at 400C

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
We're On Facebook!

A New Take on Romaine!

Back when we had cable television I used to watch a LOT of Food Network. I remember seeing chef Michael Smith throwing a head of romaine onto the BBQ for a new spin on caesar salad, but I had never tried it until recently. This technique is AMAZING at bringing out the flavor of an otherwise bland leafy green! Here's how:

Rub your entire head of romaine in olive oil (just the outside) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place it on the BBQ just for under a minute per side - you don't want to 'steam' the lettuce, but rather give it nice grill marks. When it's done, slice it in half lengthwise and drizzle with home-made dressing (naturopathic take on ceasar)!
Dressing:
1 Tbsp Dijon
3 cloves garlic
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
Blend with an immersion blender while slowly adding about 1/3 cup olive oil to emulsify the dressing (this makes it thick).

Dr. Anna Falkowski HBSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinic Director
info@vitalityforlife.ca
www.vitalityforlife.ca
Twitter: @NaturoDoctor
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