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I came across a recipe like this while I was scrolling through Pinterest looking for inspiration. Little Asian flavor bombs? YES, PLEASE. Most recipes I came across either had tofu, pork or salmon, but I wanted alllll veg. I'm pretty happy with how the filling turned out, too. But honestly, if its wrapped in rice paper - I'm eating it. Rice paper can be found in almost any grocery store, in the ethnic foods section. They are super affordable, no chemicals, naturally gluten, soy, and dairy free, AND shelf stable. HUZZAH! Ingredients: 8 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms 1 tbsp. avocado oil 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced 3 large carrots, peeled and shredded 1" fresh ginger root, peeled and grated 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 head of Napa cabbage, washed and roughly chopped 2 tbsp. coconut aminos 1 tbsp. rice vinegar 1/4 red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt 1 tsp toasted sesame oil Rice paper wrappers Warm water 1 tsp of avocado oil Dipping Sauce: 2 tbsp. of coconut aminos 1 tbsp. rice vinegar Hot sauce to taste Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms to the dry pan. Sauté for 5-10 minutes, until the water releases and the outsides char a bit. Move the mushrooms to one side of the pan and add the avocado oil to the clear side. Add the green onions to the oil and gradually stir in the mushrooms. Add carrots, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add Napa cabbage and stir carefully to combine. Sauté for 10-15 minutes, until the cabbage is wilted and the water has evaporated. Add the coconut aminos, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, and salt and stir to combine. Cook for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add sesame oil. Stir to combine. Allow to cool completely. Once the mixture has cooled, assemble your filling station: Fill a wide bowl or pie plate with warm water. Dip one wrapper into the warm water until it is completely wet. Place on a cutting board and add 1/4 cup of mixture to the center of the wrapper. Bring the bottom of the wrapper up over the mixture, tuck each side in, and continue to roll to the top of the wrapper. Repeat the previous step for the same dumpling. You have to double-wrap it or they will fall apart when you cook them. Place the dumplings on a greased plate until ready to cook (I used a little bit of avocado oil). Repeat steps 2-5 until the mixture is used up. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of avocado oil and once shimmering, add the dumplings to the pan carefully, leaving at least an inch of space on each side. Fry on one side for 3-5 minutes, or until its golden brown and blistered. Flip to the other side and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm with dipping sauce, fresh cilantro, and/or green onions.

In an attempt to get my kids to eat salad, I came up with this egg-free honey mustard. I'll let you know how it goes... In related news, I found out that honey mustard is Alex's favorite salad dressing. 10+ years of being together and I JUST found this out. That's the second reason for this recipe. Its pretty basic and easy, the hardest part is making the Vegan Mayo, which isn't hard either. This recipe is definitely a little higher in fat because of the oil in the mayo, there's no getting around that. I suggest moderation with the mayo especially, to ease up on the liver. I based my mayo recipe off of this one from The Plant Based School. Ingredients: 1/2 cup of Easy Vegan Mayo (see below) 1/4 cup of prepared yellow mustard 1/2 cup of honey 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Store in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. Easy Vegan Mayo: 1/2 cup unsweetened and unflavored almond milk 3/4 cup of avocado oil (+ 3 tbsp for thicker texture) 1/4 cup of olive oil 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tbsp. prepared yellow mustard 3/4 tsp of fine sea salt Combine all ingredients in a tall, wide mouth glass jar (like a Ball or Kerr jar used for canning). Blend using an immersion blender for 30 seconds or until the ingredients start to thicken up. Move the immersion blender up and down to get a good mix. I do not recommend using a food processor or high speed blender in this instance, as the mayo does not set up properly for some reason.

I am not a fan of black-eyed peas. I know that's not a great way to start off, but hear me out. I AM a fan of New Years Eve traditions, and in my family, we always ate black-eyed peas on New Years Day to bring us prosperity in the new year. This superstition is grounded in the southern United States, but until I researched for this post, I had no idea WHY we do this. Its always just been something that we did. Based on an article by Adrian Miller on Garden&Gun, the tradition actually comes from West Africa. Before the Europeans arrived, West Africans didn't really have a New Year's Day food tradition, but they commemorated auspicious days with special foods or preparing a special meal. Many religious deities in West African religious tradition had human attributes, like favorite foods, and black-eyed peas was usually among them. West Africans have long considered the black-eyed pea as a good luck charm that warded off the Evil Eye. Black-eyed peas are always on the list for special occasions such as the birth of a child (especially twins), a homecoming, or a funeral. During the time of slavery, West Africans brought their food traditions and beliefs to the American South. Slave ships leaving West Africa were packed with black-eyed peas to feed the captives during their voyage across the Atlantic. Eventually, they were grown in plantation gardens and slaveholders began eating them on the regular. No one knows for sure how the black-eyed peas on New Year's Day tradition got started, but another possibility is that Sephardic Jews from Syria who came to the South inspired others in their custom of eating black-eyed peas for good luck on Rosh Hashanah, their New Year's Day. Before we get to the goods, I have to give credit to another blogger, EvergreenKitchen for the stellar broth in this recipe. It really does carry the whole dish (because it ain't the black-eyed peas, in my opinion). I hope you enjoy, and that the new year brings you prosperity, love, and light! XOXO Ingredients: 3 cups of dried Black-eyed peas, soaked in cool water overnight 2 heads of garlic 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 shallots, whole 7 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth 2 tbsp. tomato paste 3 sprigs of fresh thyme 2 dried bay leaves 1 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes 1 tbsp. of Extra Virgin olive oil (optional) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Rinse the soaked beans in fresh water and drain. Trim the tops of the garlic heads down by about 1/2 an inch, or until the cloves are exposed. Combine all ingredients in a large, oven-safe Dutch oven and cover with a lid. Pop in the oven and bake for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and using a slotted spoon, fish out the garlic heads, bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Once the garlic heads cool a bit, squeeze the cooked garlic out of its skin and smash it up with a fork, or the back of the wooden spoon. Toss back into the pot with the beans and stir to dissolve the garlic into the sauce. Serve immediately with fresh lemon juice, fresh chopped parsley, or my personal favorite: hot sauce! Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.

I had a dish like this at a local restaurant and I loved the idea. I decided to make my own for an easy New Year's Eve dish. Its packed full of flavor, healthy fats, lycopene, and antioxidants. No need to wake up on New Year's Day with a food hangover, too, amiright? Ingredients: 1 batch of my Marinated Artichokes, drained 1 cup of fresh tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped 1 cup of Kalamata olives, pitted and halved 2 tbsp. of Basil Pesto (below) 24 hours prior: prepare the Marinated Artichokes and refrigerate overnight and prepare the basil pesto. Remove the Marinated Artichokes from the fridge and using a slotted spoon, strain the artichokes from the marinade. You can either discard the marinade or save to use as a salad dressing. Chop each marinated artichoke heart in half and toss into a bowl with the chopped tomatoes, olives, and basil pesto. Stir to coat with the basil pesto. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to a day before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Basil Pesto: 2 packed cups of fresh basil 1/2 cup of pine nuts (or walnuts) 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 1/4 tsp fine sea salt 1/8 tsp black pepper 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin olive oil Combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, sea salt, and pepper in food processor. Start processing and slowly pour the olive oil into the top spout. Process for another minute. Stop, scrape down the sides, and process again for another minute. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

I wasn't going to post a recipe this week, but this was too good not to share. I actually made this recipe last Christmas, and I totally forgot about it until this week when I went to make a batch for Santa's upcoming visit. Coquito means "little coconut" in Spanish and is a traditional Christmas drink that originated in Puerto Rico. It is typically a rum-based drink that is similar to eggnog and sometimes referred to as Puerto Rican Eggnog. I really liked eggnog in my previous life, but this stuff is WAY BETTER. So, if you're not a fan of regular eggnog I highly recommend you try this instead. My version is dairy free, gluten free, egg free, soy free, and refined sugar free. Let me know what you think! Ingredients: 1 cans of full fat coconut milk 1/2 cup of maple syrup 3 cinnamon sticks 1 cup of raw cashews, soaked for at least 45 minutes in boiling water 2 cups of unsweetened, unflavored plant milk (or water) 1/4 cup of coconut sugar 1 tbsp. of vanilla extract 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp fine sea salt Boil some water and soak your nuts. Bring 2 cans of coconut milk to a boil in a deep pot over medium heat. Once boiling, whisk in the maple syrup and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the cinnamon sticks and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse the cashews and add to a high speed blender with the coconut cream, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and salt. After 45 minutes, remove from heat. Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard. Carefully pour the sweetened condensed coconut milk into the blender with the other ingredients. Blend on high for 1 minute. Transfer to a glass pitcher with a lid and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold with a pinch of ground cinnamon or nutmeg. If adding rum, you can either add it to each serving or add it before you refrigerate. I'll leave the rum quantity up to you! Happy Holidays!

I think I found my new favorite comfort food. I'd been wanting to try congee since I saw Raya and The Last Dragon. I had heard of it before on Top Chef, so I always assumed it was a super fancy dish. I could not have been more wrong. Congee is basically a rice porridge, eaten as breakfast or as a comfort food when sick or hungover. To get more info on congee, check out my Gingerbread Congee recipe. Even though the Gingerbread Congee was posted first, this was actually my first attempt at making the dish. It got me HOOKED. Shiitake Mushrooms have been called the “miracle mushroom” due to their powerful immune boosting and cancer fighting properties, and are prized around the world for their medicinal and healing properties. They contain all eight of the essential amino acids and vitamins such as B12, A, D, and C. Shiitake Mushrooms also contain interferons which are natural proteins that have strong antiviral effects on the body. Interferons have the ability to inhibit the replication of viruses, bacteria, parasites, and cancerous cells. Shiitake Mushroom extracts contain a significant amount of 1,3 beta-glucan and lentinan which has been shown to slow tumor growth, reduce tumor activity, and lessen the side effects of cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. Shiitake mushrooms have also been known to benefit heart disease, hepatitis, and auto-immune disorders such as AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, fibrocystic breast disease, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia. Shiitake Mushrooms also can help to regulate blood pressure, lower blood cholesterol, thin the blood, and aid in preventing strokes and heart attacks. Shiitake Mushrooms contain an excellent bioavailable form of iron which makes them a great addition to help keep your blood strong and to prevent anemia. Shiitake mushrooms are among the few natural sources of germanium, a mineral that has the ability to counteract the effects of pollutants and increase resistance to disease. Shiitake Mushrooms are also rich in zinc which is highly beneficial for treating viral and bacterial infections, regulating prostate gland functioning, and for healing skin problems. In my research of congee recipes, I found thekitchn.com's recipe to be the most helpful. Go check it out! Porridge Ingredients: 1/4 cup of sliced shiitake mushrooms 1 tbsp. of avocado oil 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced 2 green onions, thinly sliced 9 cups of low sodium vegetable stock 1 tbsp. of coconut aminos 1 cup of short grain brown rice 1/2 tsp of salt Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat (I used a Dutch oven) and add the sliced shiitakes to a dry pan. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Move the mushrooms off to one side of the pan and add the oil to the clear side. Add the garlic, ginger, and green onions to the oil and stir to cook and stir in the shiitake mushrooms. Cook for 1 minute. Add the veggie stock and coconut aminos to deglaze the pan, then add the rice and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the temperature to low to simmer, uncovered, for 1.5 hours. Shiitake Spinach Topping Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of sliced shiitake mushrooms 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil 1 shallot, thinly sliced 4 packed cups of fresh baby spinach Sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil to top (optional) After about an hour of cook time for the congee, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shiitakes in the dry skillet for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oil, shallots, and spinach and cook until the spinach wilts. Remove from heat. Once the congee is done, portion out into bowls and top with the shiitake spinach mixture, sesame seeds and a small drizzle of sesame oil. Enjoy!

These sound SO FANCY. They are SO delicious and only YOU have to know how SO EASY they are to make! They make a great dessert or snack that even my kids loved! Cardamom is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. Cardamom is considered to be very beneficial in making hair shiny. Cardamom contains potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. It promotes hair growth and is effective at dandruff removal. Cardamom is also great for the digestive system and stimulates the appetite while easing gas, nausea, indigestion, and cramping. It also helps kill off any food borne bacteria in the digestive tract, protecting you against food poisoning and gastric distress. Cardamom pods contain a compound called limonene and is known to dissolve cholesterol containing gallstones, relieve heartburn, gastroesophageal reflex (GERD), and prevent against breast, colon, liver, and stomach cancer. I'd say after that resume, its time to get in the kitchen and make these bars. Happy eating, friends! Ingredients: Crust 1 cup oat flour 1 cup almond flour 4 tbsp melted coconut oil 2 tbsp maple syrup 1/4 tsp salt Filling 4 cups of chopped fresh pears 1 tsp ground cardamom 1/2 cup coconut sugar Pinch of salt 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Juice of 1/2 a lemon Crumble 1/2 cup almond flour 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/4 cup sliced blanched almonds 1 tbsp melted coconut oil 1 tbsp maple syrup 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon Pinch of salt Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 x 8 glass baking dish with parchment paper. Combine all the crust ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Press dough into an even layer in the pan. Pop into the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. While the crust bakes, combine all filling ingredients into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Sauté for 15-20 minutes, or until the water evaporates and a thick sauce starts to form. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, combine all crumble ingredients until a sandy-crumble texture forms. Pour the pear filling into the cooled crust. Spread evenly. Using your hands, sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top. Pop back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until the crumble starts to turn golden brown at the edges. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan, cutting, and serving.

I made this for my besties when they came down for our annual Birthday Girls Weekend. This was the PERFECT fall lunch. Scratch that - the perfect LUNCH. Period. Its warm, comforting, light, and spicy. I have dreams about making this again. I was inspired by a tomato soup I had from my favorite vegan café in San Antonio, Miss Chickpea's Cafétal. I didn't even know such a thing existed. To me, tomato soup is kind of...played out. But THIS was different. Y'all know how I feel about Mexican food. I was shook. In my research, I relied on Simple Vegan Blog and the veggie king, Jamie Oliver. This is my adaptation of these already stellar recipes. I highly recommend clicking the links to see the original recipes. Tomatoes harness critical micronutrients, phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals to support many functions of the liver, such as lycopene. Lycopene is used by the liver to shield itself from cell damage, plus lycopene helps the liver detox red blood cells safely, smoothly, and efficiently. The fruit acids in tomatoes help keep the gallbladder healthy, helping rid sludge from the gallbladder and even reduce gallstone size. Even poorly grown tomatoes have a high mineral content. These minerals often get to the deep, inner core of the liver, helping prevent disease where it commonly starts for people. Tomatoes grow at night, under the moonlight, and the liver also responds to moonlight. When it’s a full moon, the liver tends to work harder at cleaning, filtering, and processing in the wee hours of the morning. When organic or heirloom tomatoes are in the diet, the full moon energy that they collected during their growing cycle works with the liver’s ability to cleanse. If you’re avoiding tomatoes due to trendy nightshade hatred that constantly recirculates over and over again, you’re missing out on keeping your liver healthy and preventing disease (I'm looking at you, Tom Brady). Mexican Tomato Soup Ingredients: 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 gloves of garlic, chopped 2 - 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes 1 - 12 oz. jar of roasted red bell peppers I cup unsweetened unflavored almond milk 1 handful of fresh cilantro 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional) 1/2 tsp of Mexican Oregano 1 tsp coconut sugar Heat a deep sauce pot over medium heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the onions and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the diced tomatoes, red bell peppers, almond milk, cilantro, red pepper flakes, Mexican oregano, and coconut sugar. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. You can go two routes here: if you have an immersion blender, use that to blend the soup in the pot. BE CAREFUL of splatter. This is the recommended option. The second route is to pour the soup into a blender in batches to blend. Make sure you vent the top a bit, so you don't have a boiling hot lava tomato soup explosion. Again, BE CAREFUL. Serve immediately with extra cilantro, pepper flakes, lime juice, or green onions. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Jalapeno Grilled Cheese Ingredients: I cup of raw cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour in boiling water 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 clove of garlic 3/4 cup of almond milk, unsweetened and unflavored 3/4 tsp salt Juice of 1/2 a lemon 1/3 cup chopped pickled jalapenos Gluten free vegan bread of choice. I like this brand. 1 tbsp. of olive oil Combine the cashews, vinegar, garlic, almond milk, salt, and lemon juice in a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Pour cheese base into a small saucepan over medium low heat. Allow to heat up but keep a constant eye on it, because it can clump and burn really quickly. As it begins to get hot, stir regularly (every 1-2 minutes) with a spatula. The sauce will continue to thicken the longer you cook it. After about 10 minutes, add the chopped pickled jalapenos and continue to stir regularly for another 10-15 minutes. When the mixture becomes stiff (not smooth like like queso), remove from heat and transfer to a small dish lined with parchment paper. Allow to cool at room temperature before covering and placing in the fridge. Now, when I made this the first time we couldn't wait. We let it cool for about 20 minutes before spreading it on some gluten free vegan bread and toasting it up in the pan. The second time I made this, I made the cheese the day before. Either way works, although if you're short on time I would make the cheese in advance. To make the sandwiches, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil to the pan. While the pan is heating up, spread a THICC layer of jalapeno cheese on one slice of bread, top it with the second slice, and place gently in the pan. Cook 3 - 5 minutes until its golden brown, and flip to the other side to cook for another 3 - 5 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Cut at a diagonal because you're not a monster, and serve immediately. Enjoy and stay warm, friends! Please note: this post contains an affiliate link in which I may earn a small commission when the link is used for purchase.

These are just fantastic. There are no other words, really. They taste like that peanut butter cup we all know and love, but its full of healthy, real ingredients. I made these for the kids as a healthy holiday treat and 3 out of 3 Bower boys recommend. Needless to say, these will now be made year round in our house! Please note: this post contains an affiliate link that if used, will provide me with a small commission at no additional cost to you. Ingredients: 1 cup of all natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt) 1/2 cup of raw honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp. of oat flour 1 cup of Enjoy Life semisweet chocolate chips 1 tsp refined coconut oil Sea salt In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract, and oat flour and stir until completely combined and lump free. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Using a small cookie dough scoop or tablespoon, scoop about 1/2 tablespoon out and roll into a ball using your palms. Repeat, and place the peanut butter balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Pop the balls in the freezer for at least an hour. In a small bowl, combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Melt in the microwave for 30 seconds, remove and stir. Microwave again for another 30 seconds, remove and stir. Repeat until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the balls from the freezer and using a fork, dip each ball in the melted chocolate and remove with the fork. Gently shake the excess chocolate off and place the ball back on to the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with flaky, crunchy sea salt. Repeat until all balls are covered in chocolate and sprinkled with salt. Pop the balls back in the fridge for another hour and serve when ready. These need to be kept in the fridge, and if stored in an airtight container, will stay good for quite some time. But I promise they won't last very long!

My mama makes the most delicious apricot balls around Christmas time. They have sweetened condensed milk and powdered sugar, so its not really in alignment with my current health path. BUT I figured this would be an easy recipe to Meghann-ize. Apricots are incredibly high in minerals and rich in beta carotene and are one of the most healing fruits you can eat. They are one of the best sources for organic iron and cobalt making them very beneficial for anemia, digestive disorders, and reproductive health. Apricots are highly beneficial for autoimmune disorders such as chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, asthma, lupus, colitis, IBS, and PCOS. They are also wonderful for keeping the heart strong and healthy as well as being a powerful weight-loss agent. Apricot’s high concentration of beta carotene makes them an excellent food for disease prevention, especially lung, skin, and stomach illnesses. And they are very helpful in helping to regrow hair and improve the quality of your hair, skin, and nails. Fresh apricots are always best, but when they are not available, dried apricots are a great alternative. Look for wild and/or organic varieties that do not have any preservatives such as sulfur dioxide. A handful of dried organic apricots each day is a fantastic snack that can help keep you energized and focused throughout the day. Ingredients: 1 cup of pitted medjool dates 1 cup of dried apricots 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes, divided 1/4 cup tapioca starch In a medium size mixing bowl, combine pecans and 1/2 cup of shredded coconut. In a food processor, pulse the dates until completely chopped. Add the apricots and pulse until roughly chopped. Dump date/apricot mixture into the bowl with the pecans and the coconut. Stir to combine using a stiff spatula. Scoop about a half-tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a ball using your hands. Place on a lined baking sheet. Continue until all the mixture is used up. Place baking sheet into the fridge to chill for at least 20 minutes. In a large shallow dish (I used a pie plate), combine the other 1/2 cup of coconut flakes and 1/4 cup of the tapioca starch. Remove the apricot balls from the fridge and roll each one in the coconut-tapioca starch mixture until completely covered. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for several weeks.

These truffles were a hit and the perfect sweet treat or snack. I made them before my family came into town for Thanksgiving and I was honestly a little shocked at how well they went over. They make a great holiday treat or gift for loved ones. These are packed full of antioxidants and dietary fiber with a little bit of plant-based fats and only 6 INGREDIENTS! Dietary fiber is essential to feeling satisfied and curbing cravings, so you won't find yourself over-indulging in this holiday treat. I think we all could use a win like that this time of year. Ingredients: 1 packed cup of pitted Medjool dates 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1 cup dried cranberries, chopped Pinch of salt 1 cup Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips 1 tsp refined coconut oil Process dates in a food processor until completely broken down. In a medium size bowl, add pecans, cranberries, and salt. Add processed dates to the pecans and cranberries. Combine thoroughly with a stiff spatula. Scoop about a half-tablespoon portion and roll into a ball using your hands. Place on a lined baking sheet and continue until the mixture is used up. Place baking sheet into the fridge. In a small bowl, combine chocolate chips and 1 tsp of coconut oil. Microwave for 30 seconds, remove and stir. Repeat this until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the cranberry pecan balls from the fridge and grab a fork. One or two at a time, dip the balls into the chocolate, remove using the fork, and gently tap it on the side of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate. Place chocolate covered ball back on the baking sheet. Continue until all have been covered in chocolate. Sprinkle each ball with a pinch of course ground kosher salt or flaky sea salt. Pop back in the fridge. Once the chocolate hardens, serve or store in an airtight container for several weeks.

This is our weekly go-to salad dressing. I make a batch at the beginning of the week and serve it all week on our lunch and dinner salads. Its also great on steamed or sautéed veggies, tofu, or chicken. It takes under 5 minutes to make and even less time to clean up. I don't know about you, but those are my FAVORITE kind of recipes to make. I recommend making this ahead of time because the flavor gets even better the longer you let it chill. Ingredients: 2/3 cup Extra Virgin olive oil 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup water 1 clove of garlic 3/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper 1 tsp dried basil 1 tsp raw honey Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy. Transfer into a resealable glass container and store in the fridge for 5 - 7 days.