If you saw my natural energy drink “Chia Fresca” recipe video, you’ll know I’ve been lovin’ my Chia Seeds for a while now.

Used for centuries by native Central Americans, Chia seeds were considered a powerful energy food and provide excellent nutrition.

Filled with detox-supportive fiber, chia seeds, which look like little grey, tan or black poppy seeds, provide the best plant source of those fabulous Omega-3s that protect your heart,brain, skin and joint health.

Plus, all that fiber is GREAT for diabetics who need to stabilize their blood sugar and lose weight. Do you think Paula Deen knows about chia seeds? If you know her, send her this recipe – I’d love to be on her show!

(*The extra cinnamon in this recipe helps balance blood sugar levels even more – one of those super ingredients diabetics and border-line diabetics should be using!)

Soak these seeds in liquid for 15+ minutes, and they begin to gel and soften, providing an excellent slow-moving fiber and protein, which helps you feel full and reduces appetite.

Chia also contains protein, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, antioxidants, niacin, and zinc.

Now you can enjoy these ancient seeds as a delicious dessert any time - and this recipe only takes about 20 minutes to make!

Chia Seed Pudding with Coconut & Vanilla

2 cups coconut, rice, or hemp milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or maple syrup

pinch sea salt

¼ cup chia seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

-       Heat the milk over medium in a small saucepan.

-       Whisk in the vanilla, brown rice syrup and sea salt.

-       Once the milk is almost to a simmer, whisk in the chia seeds and cinnamon. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes, or until the mixture gels up to a tapioca consistency.

-       Serve warm, at room temperature, or cool in the refrigerator. Serves 2-3.

With clean ingredients, instructional photos, and a genius palate, Christy’s book is a great addition to an experienced cook’s library – or the perfect gift for a new veg-curious home chef!

Cooking in a way that’s good for you and for the environment—not to mention delicious—doesn’t have to be a pain; in fact, it can be sheer bliss. In Blissful Bites: Vegan Meals That Nourish Mind, Body, and Planet, Christy Morgan shows readers how to make healthy, delicious, animal-product free meals without a lot of effort. It’s been long-accepted that giving up animal products also means giving up easy and enjoyable cooking, but that’s just not true. Blissful Bites is a refreshing introduction to the idea that switching to a plant-based diet that uses locally grown and organic products can be easy and rewarding—for both body and mind.

Blissful Bites includes more than 150 recipes that make eating every meal healthier and exciting.

I’m giving away one copy to a lucky reader, so enter by Friday, 12/1!

Just leave a comment here on my blog about why you want this yummy cookbook, and you could win!

(Contest only open to residents of the lower 48 state, please – sorry Canadian, English, Hawaiian, and other readers!)

Apple Pie Ice Cream!

Apple Pie "Ice Cream"

Now, it’s not really ice cream, but I believe anything you scoop with an ice cream scooper can be called ice cream.

Gluten-free, vegan, and mostly raw, this recipe was actually a big hit, and most of the class ate their entire scoop – even some kids who said “Ew, gross!”

Here’s how we made this healthy snack together:

APPLE PIE “ICE CREAM” ~ Serves 4-6

8 Medjool dates, pitted

3-4 Honeycrisp apples, cored

1/2 cup oat bran

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Have the kids use plastic or kid-safe knives to remove the pits and throw away.
2. Cut the apples into quarters and remove the seeds and core. Use the grating/shredding blade in your food processor to grate the apples. Scoop into a large mixing bowl.
3. Replace the grating/shredding blade with the S-blade and combine the apples, dates, oats and cinnamon together. Pulse until the ingredients are well combined.
4. Scoop the “ice cream” into the mixing bowl and use an ice cream scooper to give each person a share.

With all the oats and apples, this recipe will also add a nice dose of fiber for those constipation-inclined readers!

4 cups cooked pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups diced tomatoes or 1 16-oz can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups low sodium vegetable broth

2 cups chopped pumpkin or winter squash (hubbard, kabocha, etc)

1 cup diced sweet potato

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Directions:

1. Combine beans and tomatoes in the blender or food processor. Add 1/2 cup vegetable broth and blend until smooth.

2. Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, and stir. Cook for a few minutes until it begins to soften. Add garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir often for 3 minutes.

3. Stir in the bean puree, remaining broth, pumpkin and sweet potato. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin and sweet potato are soft to pierce with a fork.

4. Using an immersion or stick blender, blend the soup to a smooth puree in the pot. Alternatively, blend the soup in batches of 2-3 cups at a time in a blender. Be careful to place a kitchen towel over the blender lid to avoid blowing hot soup everywhere.

5. Serve hot.

Vegan Thai Lemongrass Coconut Soup

And when your taste buds are all jumping up and down, you’re more likely to feel satisfied after a meal!

Serves 2-4

Prep & Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 stalk minced lemongrass (use the bottom 3 inches, mash with the back of  a knife, and slice in half)

4 cups low sodium No Chicken stock (Imagine foods is best)

1 inch fresh ginger or galangal, thinly sliced into matchsticks or coins

1 clove garlic, minced

3 kaffir lime leaves (available frozen in Indian/Asian/Chinese food stores or online)

1 carrot, thinly sliced into matchsticks

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and cut in 1/2

1/2 package firm tofu, drained

1 cup broccoli florets

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or Coconut Aminos (which are much lower in sodium,

are soy-free & taste excellent!)

1/2 can unsweetened coconut milk

1/3 cup basil  or cilantro leaves, thinly sliced

1 fresh lime

Vegan Thai Lemongrass Coconut Soup

Directions:

1. Place stock in a soup pot with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, carrots, and jalapeno.

2. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes while you cut the other veggies.

3. Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining ingredients, except the basil.

4. Serve over cooked rice noodles if you like, or serve as is with a slice of lime and a sprinkle of fresh basil.

According to the Five Element system, autumn is the season of the Metal element, governed by the lungs and large intestine. This sets up the conditions for flu or head cold, which comes from your body trying to expel excess mucus, toxins, and inferior fats.

Foods with a sour taste help with this detoxification process, and can be included daily as we enter into autumn. These foods include unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, lemons, limes, grapes, raw sauerkraut and pickles, and whole grain sourdough breads.

Pungent foods such as spices, ginger, and black pepper support the Metal element. These stimulate the digestion and help with the assimilation of food. Include pungent taste with seasonal fall foods such as apples, grapes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, grapes, kale, pears, persimmons, pumpkins, winter squash, and yams.

This soup has  a lot of great autumn ingredients and will help keep your body strong and centered throughout the season:

Kale Shiitake Sweet Potato Soup

4 cups water or low-sodium vegetable stock

1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps thinly sliced

1 small sweet potato, peeled, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes

1/2 bunch fresh kale, washed and stems removed

1 teaspoon Mellow white miso, per cup

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1. In a saucepan combine the water/broth, shitake mushrooms and sweet potato and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, chop the kale into bite size pieces and add to the soup.

4. Cook until tender, another 8 minutes.

5. Dissolve a teaspoon of light miso in a bowl with a small amount of broth.

6. Ladle in the soup and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Yield: 6 servings

The festival was a smash hit, and the cooking demo was geared

towards families who want to improve their nutrition with healthy, local ingredients.

Thanks to Rochester’s Child Care Council for co-sponsoring the event, and providing excellent green resources to local families.

Alexandra Jamieson and members of Rochester's Child Care Council at Greentopia

The demo was great, and I wanted to share the plant-protein rich recipes here:

*Download the recipes here: Powerful Plant-Protein Dishes for Healthy Minded Parents

By the way, next time you’re in Rochester, take a yoga class at Open Sky, grab a delicious vegan lunch or dinner at Natural Oasis, and get some snacks at Abundance natural foods co-op!

Don’t forget to Like me on Facebook! xox

More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts offers delicious recipes filled with natural ingredients and free of common food allergens, dairy and eggs.

I make some of the Currant Scones this weekend, and they’re perfect with a nice cup of tea, all-fruit spread and a little Earth Balance or peanut butter.

vegan scones from more great good dairy-free desserts by fran costigan

(Actually, I was out of currants so I used dried cranberries and raisins instead and it was delish! Just be sure you use a 1-for-1 swap if using other small dried fruit)

Currant Scones

Yield: 12 scones

2 tablespoons dark whole cane sugar

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup unbleached white flour, plus more for kneading

1/2 cup light natural cane sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup 1 tablespoon ice-cold canola oil (place measured amount in the freezer for 45 minutes)

7 tablespoons ice-cold soy milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup currants

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Blend the dark whole cane sugar in a blender for a minute until fine. Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Add the pastry flour, white flour, sugar, dark whole cane sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the strainer. Tap the strainer against the palm of your hand to sift the ingredients into the bowl. Stir with a wire whisk to distribute the ingredients, and make a well in the center.

2. Whisk the oil, soymilk, and vanilla in a small bowl until well blended, and pour into the center of the dry mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula only until combined (any longer and the scones will be tough). Gently stir the currants into the dough. Dust the dough with flour and turn out of the bowl onto a flour-dusted counter or board.

3. Divide the dough in half with a dough scraper or sharp knife, and work with one piece at a time. Flour your hands and knead by lifting the farthest edge of the dough toward the center. Press it into the center, turn the dough a quarter turn, and repeat until the dough is no longer sticky, using only as much flour as necessary. Pat each piece into a square about 1 inch thick, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

4. While the dough is resting, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

5. Remove one pice of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and cut into four triangles.  Repeat with the second piece. Place the scones 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. Brush the tops lightly with maple syrup. Bake for 9-10 minutes.

These scones turned out really well! They’ve kept nicely for 3 days in an air-tight container, although they won’t make it another day – ’cause we’re gonna eat ‘em!

You can win a signed copy of Fran’s book

More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts!

Leave a comment here on my blog by 9/22 and you’ll be entered to win this awesome book filled with vegan recipes!

To get yourself copy of Fran’s delicious book, go here:

Learn more about Fran Costigan here!

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15–20 min, plus cooling
Yield: 12 cupcakes

1 cup whole-wheat, whole-spelt, or barley flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grapeseed, canola, or coconut oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup brown rice syrup, real maple syrup, or agave nectar
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup plain, unsweetened rice, oat, almond, hemp, or soy milk

Easy Icing:

1 cup coconut butter, warmed over low heat until it’s easily spreadable

1/2 cup brown rice syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir well to combine.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the vanilla extract, brown rice syrup, carrot, applesauce, milk, and oil. Whisk well to thoroughly combine.
4. Pour half of the flour mixture into the carrot mixture and stir well to combine. Scrape the remaining flour into the carrot mixture and stir well.
5. Spoon into the cupcake liners, leaving about @@bf1/2 inch of space at the top of each. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
6. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before icing.

To make the icing, combine the coconut butter and brown rice syrup and stir well to combine. Spread over the cooled cupcakes.