OhYaGood

Whole Food Lover + Recipe Hacker

Vegan Shamrock Shake

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I have a vivid memory trying the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake for the first time. My mind was blown. My stomach, well, it wasn’t as happy. If it isn’t already clear by my blog, I have a love for all things mint so naturally I’ve tried to recreate the infamous shake more than once following recipes online. Nothing really satisfied me so I started experimenting on my own. The result is below and I am very pleased. Two thumbs up from the entire family.

Vegan Shamrock Shake
 
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Recipe type: sweets
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 cups almond milk (whole30 approved)
  • ½ cup coconut cream (canned)
  • 1 frozen banana
  • ½ medium avocado
  • 2 T cashew butter
  • 3 (or more for added sweetness) dates, soaked for 5 minutes in boiling water
  • 1 cup packed spinach
  • ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 4 ice cubes
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend

 

Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

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mintchocolatechipcheesecake Crust

I might start posting over the weekends now since my free time has been consumed trying to finish Game of Thrones before the new season begins. Man, this show is taking over my life but I can’t stop and I have about a show per day before it starts again. I know I’m not alone in this obsession.

I posted this photo last week of this SUPER yummy cheesecake before I tried it. I’m finally getting around to posting the recipe now that I know it is worth sharing. I used a gluten free chocolate crust I had gotten on sale after the holidays that was burning a whole in my pantry. It’s called MI-DEL Chocolate Snap, pictured above. The filing requires a high speed blender to get that smooth texture. Honestly though, I think it would still taste good with the cashew chunks.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
 
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Recipe type: Sweets
Cuisine: American
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 vegan, gluten-free chocolate pie shell
  • 2 cups raw cashews
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • ½ coconut milk, canned
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted) or olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons mint extract
  • green food coloring if preferred, I used about 10 drops
  • ⅛ cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Soak cashews in water for an hour
  2. Add all ingredients except the chocolate chips to a high speed blender and mix until smooth
  3. Pour ingredients into pie shell and sprinkle with chocolate chips
  4. Set in freezer for 4-6 hours
  5. Serve with coconut whip cream or chocolate sauce

 

Chai Pear Sauce

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chai pear sauceI am totally jealous of all those east-coasters who were forced to stay home these last few days and get creative in the kitchen. Although I’m sure it sounds way more romantic than it probably is. I’ve just always loved being forced to take whatever I have in my cupboards and coming up with something enjoyable to eat.

This recipe came to me simply because I had almost an entire 5 lb bag of firm pears no one besides me was eating. I had never made apple sauce but always wanted to. This seemed like a perfect opportunity and a creative success, I might add. Apples can certainly be substituted but I’m not certain what varietals would work best. Let me know if you try one that works well.

Chai Pear Sauce
 
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Recipe type: Sweets
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4 cups
Ingredients
  • 6 bartlett pears, cored and sliced into 1-inch wedges
  • 2 cinnamon sticks or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 star anise
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom
  • 1 clove or ⅛ teaspoon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup maple syrup (omit for whole30)
Instructions
  1. Prepare pears (I didn't remove the peal because I like mine slightly chunky and I'm lazy but if you prefer a smoother sauce, you'll have to peel the skin off)
  2. Add all ingredients into Slow Cooker or Instant Pot
  3. Slow cookers need about 4 hours on high
  4. Pressure cooker set to manual on high for 15 minutes (it'll take 10 minutes to let it get to high pressure)
  5. When cooking is finished, fish out the cinnamon sticks, star anise and clove
  6. Place remaining ingredients into a blender or use an immersion blender to mix into a smooth sauce
  7. Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 5 days

 

Powdered Popcorn

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powdered_popcornDo you remember learning how to make basic food items as a kid? I distinctly remember mastering mac n’ cheese and making stove top popcorn. My Grandma taught me at a fairly young age and I never went back to bagged microwave popcorn again. I’ve always loved a good salty bowl especially on a movie night but over the last 5 years or so, Amy’s popcorn changed my preferences for more of a sweet salty bag. This recipe is much like puppy chow which was also a recipe I remember making and devouring before I knew how to eat right…or cared. It’s a definitely a treat.

Powdered Popcorn
 
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Recipe type: Sweets
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup popcorn kernels -makes 4 cups of air popped popcorn
  • ½ cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (these are dairy- and soy-free)
  • ¼ cup peanut butter
  • 1 T coconut oil, halved
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • popcorn salt, as needed
Instructions
  1. Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ½ T coconut oil and the kernels.
  2. Cover with a lid and shake the pan side to side to evenly distribute the heat.
  3. Continue doing this every minute or so to prevent the kernels from burning.
  4. Once the kernels have popped and you only hear about 1-2 after 10 seconds, remove the pan from heat and move the popcorn to a large bowl.
  5. Heat the chocolate chips, peanut butter and ½ T coconut oil in a microwave safe dish or on the stove to melt for about 2 minutes, stopping halfway to stir.
  6. Pour the melted chocolate peanut butter over the popcorn and stir well.
  7. Transfer the contents to a gallon sized plastic bag and add the powdered sugar. Shake the bag until evenly coated.