Coffee Brownies (Raw/Paleo)

Sometimes you just need a chocolate fix. I happen to like the sweet/salty flavor combo. These brownies satisfy that craving without all the extra refined sugars and overly processed ingredients. These brownies taste a lot like the Jocalat Larabars. You can customize theses bars by swapping the coffee grounds and cutting the vanilla extract in half and adding a different extract (orange, coconut, peppermint, etc.). Go ahead, give it a try!

recipe adapted from mynewroots.org 

Coffee Brownie

-1 cup almonds

-1 cup walnuts

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-20 medjool dates (small)

-1 c. cocoa powder (unsweetened)

-1/2 tsp coffee grounds

-dash of sea salt

-Combine almonds, vanilla, 1/2 of cocoa powder, salt, and coffee grounds in food processor. Pulse until well combined and crumbly. Then add in dates and walnuts. Pulse until it looks like dirt (literally). When you mash the mixture between your finger tips it should stick together.

-Line a brownie pan with parchment paper and pour mixture inside pan. Pat down firmly and place in the freezer until firm (a few hours). Then remove, cut into squares and enjoy! I store mine in the freezer for a nice old treat, I also prefer the texture when they are frozen.

Beet Hummus

Dear Mom,

If you're reading this, as I'm sure you are, I'm sorry. You may want to stop reading now. I'm pretty sure this recipe is considered betrayal to my arab roots.

Love you,

Z



No self respecting arab tries to tamper with a good thing, except me. Funny story, this one time I asked for baked falafel, turns out, that's gross. The falafel turned into hockey puck like saucers that my family then threw around the dinning room table. I don't think they'll ever let me live that one down.

Chickpeas aren't paleo and I miss them. So I decided to try to recreate a food I grew up on. I read a few blogs talking about beet hummus but they added silly things like cumin to their hummus. Why? I don't know. The first time I made this I used red beets, magenta hummus? I think not. Second time around I used golden beets, at least the color is closer.

I DO think this tastes great. It's a fun dip for raw veggie or to mix into chicken salad or tuna salad recipes. It's no traditional hummus though. I'm convinced nothing will ever compare. I can't ever stop eating hummus forever. It just feels wrong. Having said all that. Go ahead and try it. This is a great way to get in an extra vegetable, healthy fats, and fiber. Also, beets are great pre workout fuel! They are vasodilators, which enhances blood flow and means more oxygen travels into your muscles. YEY!

It should look like this when you're all done

Beet Hummus

-6 small to medium yellow beets (boiled and skinned)
-2 Tbs. Tahini
-1/2 + 2 extra squeezes of fresh lemon juice
-1/2 Tbs. minced garlic (you can use garlic powder too)
-1/4 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
-dash of salt

1. You'll want to boil your beets until they are fork tender. Then let them cool and peel the skin with your hands. It's the easiest way to cook up beets (in my opinion).
2. Toss all your ingredients in the food processor and pulse until smooth (I let it run about 3-5 minutes)

Enjoy with baby carrots, diced cucumbers, peppers, sliced mushrooms or anything!