Banana & chocolate spelt muffins w/whipped coconut cream & chocolate

April 30, 2015 by Anne Fillion in vegana, nut-free, egg-free, soy-free, dairy-free

For this special kids week, my son specifically ask me if I was going to share and I quote : his favourite-muffins-in-the-entire-world! So here it is, my incredible banana & chocolate spelt muffin recipe!

Sprouted spelt flour is the only flour that is not "gluten-free" that I have in my pantry. You can buy it in natural food stores (like Whole Foods Market) or online. It's pricy, but when this ancient grain is sprouted, it increases its nutrient content and digestibility. For this muffin recipe, you can also use regular spelt flour (or even whole wheat flour) if you can't find it near you.

So, what do the best-muffin-in-the-entire-world taste? Well, well... They are chewy gooey, moist, not too sweet, wholesome and have this inviting banana flavour that kids (and adults!) like so much.

Blueberry, açai & coconut POPSICLES ("paletas")

April 29, 2015 by Anne Fillion in glutenfree, vegana, raw, nut-free, egg-free, soy-free, dairy-free

Popsicles (or "paletas") can be a great nutritious and fun snack if they are made with wholesome ingredients. These refined-sugar, dairy-free and vegan "blueberry bliss" popsicles are made with fresh blueberries, açai puree, maple syrup and coconut milk.

Açai is a superfood that is grown in South America (Brazil) known for its nutritional value. The small berries are loaded with powerful antioxidants, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as essentiel amino acids.

BEST VEGAN Mac 'N' cheese

April 28, 2015 by Anne Fillion in glutenfree, vegana, egg-free, soy-free, dairy-free

Neon orange. Yellow #5 and Yellow #6. Sounds familiar? No, those are not Crayola colours. Those are the colorants responsible for the famous mac and cheese bright and artificial orange colour.

It's now well known that food dyes may have potential health effects on kids like increasing hyperactivity symptoms or allergic-type reactions. Well well... did you know Kraft Foods just announced that their iconic blue box original mac and cheese will be made without artificial preservatives or synthetic colours starting January 2016. Even if the famous mac and cheese won't glow in the dark anymore, I believed it will still remain very high in sodium and saturated fats... and not a very nutritious meal for kids.

To find the best vegan mac & cheese on earth... and the one that would taste and look the most like the original, I did a vegan mac and cheese battle!

Strawberry, banana & hemp smoothie

April 27, 2015 by Anne Fillion in dairy-free, egg-free, glutenfree, nut-free, raw, vegana, soy-free

HAPPY MONDAY!!

I'm very excited! Today's the first day of my special kids week where I'll be sharing one healthy, whole food and kid-friendly recipe each day! Be sure to follow me all through the week, since I'm going to share my kids favourites recipes! You sure don't want to miss my best vegan mac & cheese ;)

This smoothie is a classic strawberry and banana smoothie with a healthy twist.

Quinoa, beet, chickpeas & dill "patties" + tzatziki (two ways)

April 23, 2015 by Anne Fillion in dairy-free, egg-free, glutenfree, nut-free, soy-free, vegana

This week I'm sharing these flavourful and vibrant beet "patties". In my opinion, what makes them beyond delicious and different is the addition of fresh dill that pairs perfectly with the earthy flavour of the beets. I have to say that dill is by far my favorite herb; unfortunately I don’t use it nearly enough in my recipes! Well, in this recipe, dill and beets sure are the real stars!

Strawberry & cream BUCKWHEAT "mille crepes cake" (Gluten-free, vegan)

April 09, 2015 by Anne Fillion in glutenfree, vegana, nut-free, egg-free, soy-free, dairy-free

The very first time I served a crepes cake, it was a total hit! People never get tired of it! I even heard : "How come I never thought about this! It's genius"!

It is pretty genius indeed! The person who invented this dish resolved a very crucial problem : if you're the one in charge of making the crepes on a brunch, you'll probably have to spend the entire morning in the kitchen instead of talking and enjoying the company of your guests. That's exactly what I like the most about this idea. You simply have to prepare your crepes in advance and assemble the cake with your favorite garnishes and... Voilà! The perfect recipe for a brunch (or dessert)! It's also a very good morning potluck recipe that you can bring over.

Strawberry chia jam

April 09, 2015 by Anne Fillion in dairy-free, egg-free, glutenfree, nut-free, soy-free, vegana

Have you tried strawberry chia jam? It's delicious, super easy to make and not to mention it's an healthy alternative to the store-bought, refined sugar filled jams you can find in all groceries.

Carrot cake/cupcakes (vegan)

April 01, 2015 by Anne Fillion in glutenfree, vegana, nut-free, egg-free, soy-free, dairy-free

This carrot cake is a healthier version of our family "classic" carrot cake and it was on our Easter brunch table last weekend.

My grandma used to do her famous carrot cake on every Christmas Eve. Her version had everything of an "old-school" cake, super sweet, moist and decorated with a bright green frosting. My mom now has its own gluten-free version (with an all-purpose gluten-free flour) with a cream cheese lime frosting. She bakes this incredible cake every single time we visit her (or for our birthdays!).

I must tell you that the original recipe has its own little story... that now became a legend among our family.

Vegan mint chocolate chip ice cream (vegan, dairy-free)

March 27, 2015 by Anne Fillion in dairy-free, egg-free, glutenfree, soy-free

My husband and I have been together for more than ten years (!). That means he knows how to make me happy. This past Valentine's day, he gave me a brand new ice cream machine (I was still searching for the perfect machine, remember?)! No chocolate, diamond or flowers (he still brought me the most beautiful flowers!) could've made me happier than this new kitchen gadget! And he knows it! It also means that I have the best husband... but most probably that he had huge ice cream cravings ;)

This ice cream is delicious, minty, rich, silky. See my other post for the complete story : Vegan mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwich.

The "free" DOUBLE chocolate oatmeal cookies

March 27, 2015 by Anne Fillion in dairy-free, egg-free, glutenfree, nut-free, soy-free, vegana

These gooey double chocolate oatmeal cookies have everything of a traditional oatmeal cookie, but they could totally be called the "free cookies". They are gluten-free, vegan (which means dairy-free and egg-free), nut-free (if you choose the sun butter or tahini butter), almost refined sugar free (except for the sugar in the chips...) but they are certainly not tasteless! If you do the version with the dates instead of the coconut sugar (see the note in the recipe below), you could even eat them for breakfast!