Written by contributor Felicia Clark of A Simply Raw Life.

Say what?  Homemade raw Nutella?  Why yes!  Who doesn’t like Nutella, right?  For those of you who are not familiar with Nutella it is a very delicious chocolate hazelnut spread that tastes great on just about anything.  I don’t know about you, but I grew up eating Nutella as a treat.  So, when I changed my diet to consiste of mostly plant based and unprocessed foods this was one of those things I had to figure out how to make.  Fortunately, there is such a great community of plant based, raw and vegan cooks out there, it wasn’t hard to come up with a recipe.  I got my inspiration from Fragrant Vanilla Cake.  I love how Amy can transform just about any of our old time favorite desserts into a delicious raw unprocessed treat.

Homemade Raw Nutella Recipe

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 cup hazelnuts

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup agave nectar   

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons raw cacao powder, or carob powder

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted to liquid form

1/4 cup almond milk 

Directions

Blend the hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground.  Add the sea salt, agave, cinnamon and vanilla and process until combined well.  While the motor is running, add the coconut oil slowly and then the almond milk to make it smooth. Blend until as smooth as possible.  This may take a while.  Store in an airtight jar in the refigerator and enjoy!  I hope you enjoy this treat as much as I do.

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Written by contributor Felicia Clark of A Simply Raw Life.

Dessert for breakfast?  Yes, please!  Who doesn’t like to eat dessert for breakfast, especially this time of year with all the delicious pumpkin goodies out there.  Love, love love pumpkin!  This pumpkin coffee cake, which is also dairy free, is the perfect breakfast treat to eat with your favorite tea or coffee.  So cozy!

One of my favorite ingredients for baking right now is coconut oil.  When a baking recipe calls for an oil to be used, I like to switch it out with coconut oil.  The recipe always come out light a fluffy and not weighed down.  Check out some the benefits of coconut oil by Dr. Oz and why we here at Family Sponge love to use it.  The other secret ingredient in this recipe is coconut yogurt. Many coffee cakes are baked with buttermilk, I switched out the buttermilk with cultured coconut yogurt and you would never know the difference.  This pumpkin coffee cake is the perfect treat for any breakfast guest.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake Recipe

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour
1 tsp + 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon, divided use
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup agave or pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp unrefined granulated sugar or brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup cocnut oil warmed to liquid form, do not over heat
1 cup cultured coconut yogurt, vanilla

For the crumb topping:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup pecan halves finely chopped
3 Tbsp coconut oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8×8 inch square pan and line with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, all of the other spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together agave or maple syrup, pumpkin puree and the coconut yogurt in a large bowl until well-mixed. Whisk in vanilla extract. Whisk in cocnut oil until well-combined.  Add dry ingredients to wet in in 3 parts; stir until dry ingredients are fully moistened.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Whisk the remaining 2 Tbsp sugar and remaining 1 Tbsp cinnamon in a small bowl; sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter. Spread remaining batter over top in an even layer.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, salt, and nuts for the crumb topping. Add in the oil, and stir with a fork until crumbly. Scatter crumb topping evenly over the batter in the pan.

Bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs, 35-40 minutes.  Allow cake to cool in pan before cutting into pieces and serving.  Coffee cake is best served the same day it is baked.

For more delicious raw and vegan recipes, visit Felicia at A Simply Raw Life.

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Do you have a favorite recipe with pumpkin? We would love to hear what it is! Share it in the comments below. Thanks to Method for sponsoring today’s discussion! Want helpful cleaning tips, coupons, and giveaways from Method? Join their community of 336,570+ adoring fans on their awesome Facebook Page.

Written by Contributor Britney Manuel of BtanJerine, and A Simply Raw Life. 

At about 3 o’clock PM everyday a little man inside of me says, “it’s time for chocolate!”, and when he talks…I listen! And sometimes much to my dismay, this little man has cheap taste. So in an effort to be proactive I knew I had to at least make a healthier version to tame this wild beast of a chocolate monster within me. So this is what I did!

Vegan: Cranberry Almond Energy Bars with Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

4 cups raw almonds
2 lbs. dates
1 cup shredded coconut
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 cups dried cranberries

Frosting

1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
2/3 cup cacao or carob powder

Directions

1. Blend the dates in a food processor until it makes a thick paste, and place in a bowl.

2. Pulse the almonds in the processor until they are finely chopped and add to the bowl. (I left some bigger chunks so that the texture varied).

3. Pulse the shredded coconut for a few seconds and then add to bowl.

4. Add chia seeds and dried cranberries.

5. Work mixture together with your hands until it makes a sticky ball.

6. Line a 9×13 cookie sheet with parchment paper. Add mixture to parchment paper. Cover ball with another sheet of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to flatten the ball into about 1 1/2 inches.

7. Place bars in the freezer for 1 hour.

While the bars are freezing make the chocolate frosting.  Add maple syrup to the blender first followed by the coconut oil and cocoa powder. Blend well until smooth.

Take bars out of the freezer and cut them into bars. Pour frosting over the cut bars and return to the freezer. Bars won’t completely freeze (except the cranberries). Transfer to an airtight container and store bars in the freezer. I think that they taste better par frozen, so I just pop them out of the freezer and eat them straight away.

Store in the freezer for one month.

Makes approximately 15 bars

ARE YOU DROOLING YET?

For more sumptuous recipes visit Britney at A Simply Raw Life, or for off beat jewelry check out BtanJerine

Written by contributor Felicia Clark of A Simply Raw Life.

If you’re like me, you don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen, but you still want to create delicious healthy meals for your family.  I LOVE to make grain salads because they are very nutritious, full of flavor and color, and you can make them in bulk to pack for the next day’s lunch.  One of my favorite local restaurants is Lemonade. They have the most interesting and colorful selection of gourmet salads. Just fabulous!  My last trip there left me dreaming about their red quinoa salad, so I had to recreate it for my family.  It was delicious!

Vegetarian Salad: Red Quinoa with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

1-1/2 cup red quinoa, cooked per instructions.
1 cup sun dried tomatoes*
1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1 cup red bell peppers, chopped
¾ cup fresh basil chopped
¾ cup slivered almonds
½ cup red onions, chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cook the red quinoa per instructions and let it cool to room temperature.  Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, toss and serve.

*You can use store bought sun dried tomatoes and prepare them per instructions.  But if you have a dehydrator, like I do, you can make your own. These take about 12 hours so if you stick them in the dehydrator in the early morning, they will be ready by dinner time.  Or you can just prepare them the night before overnight.  Take 8 roma tomatoes, cut them in half lengthwise and then slice them into ¼“ thick half moon pieces.  Place them on the dehydrator tray and dehydrate for 12 hours at 115 degrees.  Voila!  You have homemade sun dried tomatoes.

Serves: 6

So simple and delicious!

Enjoy!

For more delicious recipes, visit Felicia at A Simply Raw Life.

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite recipe with quinoa?  We would love to hear what it is! Share it in the comments below. Links are welcome.

Written by contributor Marieke Beeler of M for Mommy.

This Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese is the perfect summer salad. Every Saturday morning I pick up my crate of organic/ locally grown fruits and vegetables.  We started doing this in August of last year and I’m loving it!  Supporting the local farmers, receiving organic fruits and veggies, hurrah!  You get what’s in season and you know that your produce hasn’t spent half of its lifetime in transit to get from where ever it was grown to your kitchen.

The only challenge with the service I use, is the fact that you don’t have a choice in what you do and do not receive.  So, I have been forced to experiment with unknown veggies, or to turn something that my taste buds don’t necessarily groove on into a scrumptious dinner. Not all of them can turn into a huge success, but if you succeed with only a few, you come out ahead.  In other words: experiment.  Don’t be afraid to take some time and challenge yourself.  You may be surprised with what you come up with.

And that was the case with beets.  I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of beets, but this salad is a hit.  (And I’m a tough one to please with beets.) I prefer to roast them.  It seems to soften the beet flavor a bit.  In this salad, I decided to slice the beets and serve them on the bottom of the salad.  It “anchors” the beet salad a bit (can you tell I married a photographer?).

Beets go well with citrus.  The freshness and tartness of the oranges accompanies the beets perfectly and the toasted almonds add the perfect amount of crunch to the beet salad, as well as a hint of “nuttiness”.

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Oranges & Toasted Almonds

Ingredients

2-3 beets (depending on the size)
olive oil
salt & pepper
2 cups salad greens
Dijon vinaigrette (recipe follows)
2 oz. crumbled goat cheese
1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
1 orange, peeled and cut in slices

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Wash the beets and rub the dirt off.  Place them on a large enough piece of aluminum foil so you can wrap them up and drizzle them generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Fold the edges of the aluminum together, to create a little loose package around the beets.  Make sure the edges are pressed together, so the package is sealed.
Roast on a baking sheet for about 45 minutes.  The time depends on the size of the beets.  After about 25 minutes, insert a fork into one of the beets to see how they’re doing.  The beets are done when a fork inserts and comes out easily. Set aside to cool.
When cool enough to handle, peel and slice the beets.  Set aside to cool completely.

Toast the almonds over low heat.  Keep an eye on them, toss them a few times, to make sure they don’t burn.  Toss the greens with enough vinaigrette to coat.  Arrange the beet slices on the plates or on a platter.  Top with the greens.  Arrange the orange slices over the salad.  Sprinkle with the crumbled goat cheese and toasted almond slices and your beet salad is ready for enjoyment.

Serves: 2

Dijon Vinaigrette

2 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, salt, pepper & Dijon mustard together.  Whisk (or in a food processor: mix).  While whisking (or with the motor running) slowly add the olive oil.

For more delicious recipes, visit Marieke at M for Mommy.

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite recipe that includes a “universally-less-than-loved” vegetable?  We would love to hear what it is!

Written by contributor Marieke Beeler of M for Mommy.

This Balsamic Pasta is the ultimate summer dish, enjoyable year-round.  It can be served at room temperature, so it’s perfect for a warm summer evening.  With fresh “garden” ingredients it is healthy, light and delicious.  The basil and tomatoes add freshness to the dish, while the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic contribute to a wave of flavors.

I lived in Italy for a while and given the opportunity, I would pack my bags and move the whole family back to Tuscany.  It truly is Heaven on Earth: beautiful nature, vineyards, sunflowers and food in its purest form.  In the morning you buy your food fresh at the market; fresh cheese, milk, fruits, vegetables, pastas, wines and meats.  You know, “fresh”, as in not pre-packaged, nothing added, not processed…fresh.  It’s a truly delicious concept.  Later in the day you make a meal from all these wonderful ingredients you bought earlier that morning and you add a nice glass of Pino Grigio to go with it.  Dinner: Complete.

So, given that there are 6,232 miles between me and my dreams, and Mommy cannot just hop on a plane to go to Italy, we’re bringing Italy to Mommy.  And with this balsamic pasta recipe, we’re succeeding.  I already mentioned that it was fresh.  The original recipe is vegetarian, but if you feel a desperate inclination to add any meat to the dish, I would recommend a hard salami.

5-Color Balsamic Pasta

This simpe pasta is full of fresh ingredients and enjoyable all year-round. It can be served at room temperature, so it’s perfect for a warm summer evening.  With fresh “garden” ingredients it is healthy, light and delicious. 

Ingredients

9 oz. farfalle, bow-tie pasta
8 oz. ciliegine mozzarella, cherry-sized balls (or cut regular-sized mozzarella into 1″ pieces)
6 oz. black pitted olives, drained and halved
3 tomatoes, seeded and diced in 1″ pieces
1 1/2 – 2 cups chopped fresh basil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup good olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves minced
Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Boil the pasta according to the directions on the bag.  In a bowl, put together the mozzarella, halved olives, tomatoes and basil.  Toss it with the balsamic vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste.  When the pasta is done, drain it in a colander and add it to the other ingredients.

Heat the olive oil in the pan that you used to boil the pasta in over medium heat.  When the oil is warm, toss the garlic in and stir.  When the garlic becomes aromatic, take the pan immediately off the heat.  You don’t want the garlic to turn brown as it will become bitter!  Pour the olive oil and garlic over the pasta and stir gently. Serve with Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

For more delicious recipes, visit Marieke at M for Mommy.

Join the pasta discussion!

Have a favorite pasta dish? Share it below…and if you have a blog, please link to the recipe! Would love to have a resource page for yummy pasta dishes!

Being a green smoothie advocate, I eliminated meat from my diet and have been searching for vegan-friendly recipes. I stumbled upon Lindsey’s site and fell in love with her beautifully photographed gluten-free and vegan recipes. So I asked Lindsey of Cafe Johnsonia to share her awesome journey towards a plant-based diet. Don’t miss her awesome Vegan Tostadas with homemade corn tortillas at the end of this post! — peace & love, Jadah

Written by Lindsey Johnson of Cafe Johnsonia

I grew up eating the standard American diet– heavy on processed food, white sugar, white bread, meat and dairy, and very little fruits and vegetables. I was quite happy eating that way and it never occurred to me that there was a different way of eating. I had heard the word “vegan” before. I knew what vegetarians were–strange people who liked cats a lot and didn’t eat meat. I couldn’t understand why anyone would eat vegetables when there were much more delicious foods around, like cheese and crackers.

There’s more to the story here, but let’s fast forward to two years ago when I decided to give veganism a try.

I was up late one night perusing the internet and I came across something about switching to a plant-based diet and how much healthier and happier people were who did. I was intrigued because I’d been struggling with depression and various health problems. It appeared that eliminating things like dairy and meat were making a difference. I totally bought it and decided to give it a try.

You can imagine my husband’s reaction when I told him I wanted to try eating a vegan, plant-based diet. Me? The woman who only ate four different kinds of vegetables on a regular basis, including ketchup and canned green beans? Me? The person who made homemade ice cream on a weekly basis and lived by the mantra “everything is better with butter and cream?”

So I went from enjoying juicy hamburgers on a weekly basis (not the fast food kind, mind you, I did have some standards), to enjoying leafy greens and beans over polenta, and green smoothies, and almond milk.

Did I mention that I also cut out gluten? Ah…vegan isn’t so hard, but gluten-free and vegan? That’s when it gets a bit more rough.

I started feeling better immediately. My skin looked fantastic. I started dropping weight without trying. (I also forgot to mention that I had gained nearly 100 lbs. from when I got married to the birth of my 3rd child. I cringe just thinking about that.) I stopped getting stomach aches every time I ate. I felt awesome.

When you feel good, you kind of forget how you felt before. Old habits slipped back in and there I was again eating the same way– with more fruits and veggies, but still heavy on the meat, dairy, chicken, eggs, and wheat flour.

Last October, I decided that it was time to revisit the healthy eating on a permanent basis. It was time to give up gluten again– once and for all, and really limit animal products. It was time to get myself off dairy and meat again. Also no white sugar. Right before the holidays, I decided all of this.

I knew it was going to be hard, so I stocked up on gluten-free flours and other things so I could still make a few treats during the holidays. And I did it without cheating. January came and I kept going.  It’s the middle of May and I haven’t cheated once with eating gluten-free.

I haven’t been 100% vegan, but I’m getting there. Most days I am. I still eat seafood occasionally, as well as a tiny bit of dairy every so often.

I feel pretty great about sticking with it this long–that’s not to say it isn’t hard. I do have days when I want nothing more than to bite into a juicy hamburger or a big slice of pepperoni pizza. But I have to remember that this is a conscious choice I made to put my health first–to put myself first. I want to be healthy and happy. It helps me be a better wife, mother, and human being.

One of my favorite recipes that helped me ease into my new way of eating was these Vegan Tostadas with Homemade Corn Tortillas. They are incredibly filling with zero guilt afterwards. I never even miss the cheese.

This is one of those “what’s-in-the-fridge-that-needs-to-be-used-up” meals. So you could use different greens, use peppers and tomatoes instead of salsa, add corn or zucchini, leave out the cilantro, spice it up with chilies, sprinkle the top with sliced scallions/green onions.

Vegan Tostadas made with Homemade Corn Tortillas

Homemade or store-bought corn tortillas (figure 1-2 per person)
1 bag of baby spinach
1-2 cups cooked quinoa
1-2 cups black, pinto or kidney beans
1/-1 cup salsa
1-2 avocados, diced

optional ingredients– cilantro, corn, peppers, green onions, lime wedges

Heat  1/2″ to 1″ of canola oil in a large skillet. (Nonstick would be great here just in case the tortillas stick, which they shouldn’t with that much oil.) Add the tortillas, working in batches of one at a time, allowing them to cook in the hot oil until they are golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain tortillas on paper towels.

Assemble tostadas by placing the crisp tortilla on a plate, followed by the baby spinach, top with remaining ingredients and serve with a lime wedge or two. (You’ll notice in the picture that I just tossed the quinoa, beans, salsa and avocado together and put it on top of the spinach.)

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Use this recipe. I don’t measure my ingredients anymore, I do it by how the dough feels in my hands–not too dry or crumbly, not too wet and gooey. It should feel like firm playdough.

I roll the dough into balls and place them on a plate. I cover it loosely with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.

In lieu of a tortilla press, I use a gallon-sized freezer bag and cut it on two sides so it opens like a book. I place a ball of dough in the center, fold the bag over it and weigh it down with the (flat) bottom of a heavy skillet or pan. I like mine a little thicker than the store-bought tortillas.

Heat up a griddle or nonstick skillet. (Don’t add oil for this part.) Cook the tortilla on each side for about 30 seconds. Transfer to a platter and cover to keep them warm until ready to serve.

If you have leftovers, they will be great the next day or two. Cover them tightly so they don’t dry out. You can also chill the dough for several days as long as it is tightly covered.

For more recipes from Lindsey, head on over to Cafe Johnsonia.

Written by contributor Marieke Beeler of M for Mommy.

This Broccoli and Cheese Soup with Croutons is absolutely divine. I have to admit: I am not a soup person. My husband is. That’s where we differ. As a soup person he confirms that this is, indeed, a delicious soup. As a non-soup person, I confirm: this Broccoli and Cheese soup with Croutons is a hit. The original recipe called for frozen broccoli. I prefer fresh. I had fresh. I made it fresh. It was a keeper.

Look at that!  “Fresh over frozen,” I say.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup with Croutons

Ingredients
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus 2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup sliced leeks (white parts only, well rinsed)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
Pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock, or low-sodium chicken broth
12-16 oz. fresh broccoli, washed
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups shredded medium Cheddar, plus a good handful if needed
Croutons, for garnish, recipe follows.

Directions:
In a medium pot, melt the 3 tablespoons butter of medium-high heat.  Add the celery, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, for 20 seconds.  Add the flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended and smells fragrant, 2 minutes.  Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for about 5-7 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand-held immersion blender.  (Alternatively, in batches, puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.)

Add the cream and bring to a bare simmer to heat through.  Add the 1 1/4 cup of cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted.  Add up to a (good) handful of extra cheese, if desired.  (I desired it.)  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter, stirring to blend.

Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls.  Sprinkle croutons over the top of the soup and serve immediately.

Croutons

1 cup 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubed French bread
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. Creole seasoning, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the bread in a medium bowl and toss with oil and Creole Seasoning.  Spread evenly on a small baking sheet and bake, stirring twice, until golden brown on top, about 6 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.

Yield: 1 cup

Creole Seasoning

2 1/2 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup (yes, it’s more than you need, but it’s delicious and it will make you want to make croutons for every meal hereafter.  They’re great on a salad.  Trust me, I tried.)

Recipe originally from Emeril Lagasse, adapted by Marieke, aka HRH Mommy.

Tostada Salad: For a fresh, lighter meal this Cino de Mayo, make a tostada salad!

Black Bean Burritos: You can never go wrong with burritos for kids.

Veggie Tacos: This is a staple meal in our home— it is so yummy and easy to make. Definitely recommend adding this into your monthly meal menu.

Grilled Corn Guacamole: The Pioneer Woman made this recipe, which means it must be incredible. Guacamole and corn is a great combo in my book!

Garden-fresh Pico De Gallo: Fresh produce turned into a scrumptious dip will definitely garner some attention! FYI: You might want to double this recipe.

Horchata: A yummy drink for kids and adults. This recipes uses cashews instead of almonds, which makes it creamier and easier to make. Are you in?

Margarita Ice Cream: This festive and extremely delicious dessert is made the night before (which are my favorite kind of recipes).

Taco Bar: Taco bars are super easy to set-up and kids can help prepare the ingredients. The assembly line gives everyone a chance to pick and choose what goes on their plate, perfect for picky eaters.