LOW CARB VEGAN Chocolate Sauce - Organic!

Yes...you read it right! This chocolate sauce is low-carb, vegan, and ORGANIC!  I NEVER thought I could find a sweet chocolate sauce that was all 3!! It only takes a few minutes to make and is a fantastic frosting for cupcakes, sauce for ice cream,dip for fruits...you get the idea!

You can change up this sauce in ANY way you want! It is a very basic recipe but can be jazzed up with spicy peppers, mint, nuts, booze, etc!

Now....since I wanted to make my sauce low carb, I used stevia instead of sugar. 1 tablespoon of this sweet chocolate has only 3 grams of carbs! If you are not familiar with stevia, it is an organic sweetener that is notably better for those controlling their sugar intake! Yes, you can use other sugar substitutes in this recipe but I prefer to avoid chemicals whenever I can. Feel free to use your favorite sugar substitute or regular sugar for that matter.

I would also like to add that this totally can be considered HEALTHY chocolate! If you use the vegan recipe and use coconut oil, you are adding so many health benefits! Coconut oil is known to lower cholesterol,  boost metabolism, fight disease.... it is a never ending list of health benefits. You can read more about coconut oil HERE. Now, don't worry if you don't like the taste of coconut. It really doesn't impart too much coconut flavor....my hubby HATES coconut but LOVES when I use it to cook, bake, and make this chocolate sauce!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup sugar (if you are making this LOW CARB by using organic stevia, start with less as it takes less stevia to sweeten)
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (if you are not vegan, use butter)
• 1/4 cup organic cocoa powder

Directions:

1) Put sugar, salt and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil then remove it from the heat
2) Stir in the butter and mix until incorporated (you may want to use a whisk)
3) Add remaining ingredients. Stir until glossy.
4) Pour into glass container.

You can TOTALLY make this in the microwave! Just follow the same steps!

If you enjoyed this easy Vegan recipe...you can check out a few others on my site! I focus on organic cooking that is easy, inexpensive, and that tastes good. After all, if it isn't good....the family isn't going to eat it. It is my challenge to prove that eating healthy does not mean boiled veggies for every meal! I actually aim to prove that healthy food tastes better!

Check out a few recipes while you are here:
Organic Vegan Chicken Salad
Healthy and EASY Organic Black Bean Soup
Healthy Homemade Almond Butter
Soy Free Vegetarian breakfast sausage

Be sure to follow me on Social media to get quick updates!

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Also..don't forget to click here to check out my pal Jelli over at JelliBean Journals! She blogs all about cloth diapering, being a mommy, and has some AMAZING treats--they are all brought to you from sunny Costa Rica!

Organic Vegan "Chicken" Salad

I have been a vegetarian for 5 years and I will ALWAYS tell you that I do NOT MISS MEAT! Not one burger looks good enough to eat, not one chicken "chunk" good enough to dunk, nor a hot dog good enough to munch! That being said though...I do miss all of the things that go along with these carnivorous snacks. I do miss sauces, toppings, and condiments. I know that I can eat these on the morning star, boca, and quorn meatless options BUT have you looked at the back of the package? These meatless options are filled with chemicals and additives...things that I am trying to avoid!

So...I found a recipe from my friend over at Hoppy Bottoms for Vegan Tuna Salad. HERE IT IS . Now, I have not eaten fish since I was a young girl so I can not imagine why ANYONE would want to recreate Tuna Salad (giggle) but I know that people do! So...I basically took her inspiration and ran with it!
She has tons of Vegan options so check her out at her site Hoppy Bottoms. 

This got me thinking...I REALLY miss chicken salad! Something HAD to be done! I really wanted to make some vegan chicken salad BUT I wanted it to stay as organic as possible. Storebought mayo is packed with chemicals and usually vegan options are too. Neither would work. I ran to the health food store and found that there are organic vegan mayo options available. SCORE!  *I also found some vegan chicken salad in the deli - it was $10 per POUND!!! For $10 you could make tons of this recipe!

And don't worry! If you are not vegan and want to make this, it is a crowd pleaser! It will just look like a chickpea salad not a "mock meat" recipe. You can still make it organic by using my 5 minute/5 ingredient  homemade mayo recipe found HERE. The chemical list for storebought mayo is pictured there as well so it is worth a look!

This vegan "chicken" salad recipe is so easy to make and can be altered in any way you would like to fit your favorite chicken salad. Since everyone has their favorite recipe, I am leaving the amounts off. This is merely for inspiration! This recipe from start to finish takes about 15-20 minutes and that includes toasting the chickpeas!

Here is what you will need:
I noted that I use organic. Please know that you can use ANY product available to you and it will still make an amazing vegetarian salad!

• Can of chickpeas (I use organic but any will do)
• Organic Vegan Mayo
• Celery (diced)
• Sweet Relish (organic)
• Onions (diced)
• Apples (small dice) - my favorite part!
• salt, pepper, seasonings

Instructions:

1. Now, this step may be  omitted but I believe it is what MAKES the salad. Drain your chickpeas and rinse well. Then toss them in a bit of oil and seasonings (my favorite is chili powder, salt, and pepper). Pop in the oven for about 15 minutes. For more complete instructions on making toasted chickpeas - click HERE. 
2. Try not to eat all of the toasted chickpeas! They are addictive and a great snack but you need to remember that you are making chicken salad.
3. While the chickpeas are cooking, dice your ingredients.
4. Mix together all ingredients (including chickpeas) and finish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper!
5. I like to allow this recipe to sit in the fridge in an airtight container for about an hour before serving. It really allows the flavors to melt together!

That's it! It is honestly that easy to recreate something that is vegan and organic!

If you would like some other recipes that can save you money while staying vegetarian....Feel free to check these ones out!

Try my SOY FREE Vegetarian Breakfast Sausage  Even the kids LOVE this recipe and eat it - usually before I get to! :(

You can also whip up some Vegetarian "Chicken" Nuggets in no time!

Organic Ranch Dressing can be SOOOO EASY! Click here to get the recipe!

Also please remember to follow me on social media for updates!

Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and my other various outlets! I am always sharing great tips on living organically, vegetarian, and FRUGALLY!

Super Easy - Healthy NO BAKE Organic Protein Bars!

Over the past few months, my husband has become hooked on a new vice. Of all the addictions in the world; smoking, drinking, gambling, etc....he picks PROTEIN BARS! I should not complain...it is a healthy problem to have BUT it is also a $3 per bar addition. Yesterday, I believe it equated to a $20/day habit.

So...as many of you know, I am a total DIY girl and save money wherever I can. I took to the internet to find recipes and was sad when the first few pages of recipes were LOADED with sugar, processed ingredients, and junk. The other portion I found called for some crazy ingredients that I simply did not have on hand. One part of how I make organic work for a busy (LARGE) family is to keep it simple. These recipes were NOT going to work!

I decided to just take a base recipe and just wing it! These bars turned OUT AMAZING! There is little to no sugar in this recipe and they  were made with all organic ingredients. I think I am now stuck making these everyday! I made a whole tray of protein bars for the price of 2 bars!!! Score

I also chose not to bake them. This means that they are more like snack packs but they were still sooo good. I have added the directions of how to do these bars both ways.

I have to apologize in advance....I really don't have too many pictures of the bars as the kiddos broke into them before I got the chance to capture them on film!

They take about 15 minutes to make and can be altered to include your favorite nuts and dried fruits! You can also toss in your favorite health supplement like flax seeds, chia seeds, etc.

Ingredients: (I used ALL ORGANIC items BUT you can still make them healthy with your choice of brands!)

• 2 cups raw oats
• 2 cups toasted rice cereal (any cereal..I used toasted O's!)
• 1/2 cup of peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of any combination of dried fruits
• 1/4 cup of agave syrup
• Protein powder (optional)  - I did not specify an amount as each brand requires a different amount.  Simply adjust per recipe. This made about 10 bars. 
• optional - I added in some organic chocolate chips!

Directions:
No bake -

1. simply mix all ingredients together
2. press firmly into greased baking pan
3. sit in fridge to set bars
4. Enjoy!

Baked -

1. Mix all ingredients together
2. press firmly into greased baking dish
3. Bake at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes
4. Allow to cool then enjoy!

I hope you try them and enjoy! They are healthy and frugal way to get your protein bar fix WITHOUT all of the junk and processed foods you find in traditional bars! In case you like to grab your protein bars pre-made...check out some of our favorites!!

Healthy Black Bean Soup - A Quick Recipe

Since I am a vegetarian, it is important that I add protein into my meals whenever I can. For the first 4 years of my vegetarian life, I would say I was what i called a "BAD VEGETARIAN" or maybe you prefer "COOKIE-A-TARIAN". I assumed that cookies were vegetarian, cakes were vegetarian, and so were starchy sides---so I gained weight. Not only did I gain weight, but I wasn't the healthiest that I could be. So...when I started my organic lifestyle, I decided that me HEALTH was just as important as my disdain for meat!  IMy passion for being meatless and need for healthy options is  why protein packed legumes like Black Beans and Garbanzo Beans are a staple in my home. If you have kids...you know they could care less how nutritionally awesome they are...if it isn't what they like, they won't eat it. It is soooo important that I hide these nutritional powerhouses into my foods so my oldest doesn't hear, see, or think BEAN! So far, I have hidden beans in my black bean brownies, black bean cookies, sausage made with garbanzo beans, black bean meatballs and even some other creative goodies! Even this soup made the list ---after I blended it all the way!

I have two different versions this soup. 1 is a "quick cook" recipe involving only 2 cans of ingredients! ANYONE can handle this--Eating healthy shouldn't be a chore! The original recipe takes a few more ingredients and a little more cooking time but is still a quick fix.  I make this soup in a large batch because it has so many uses! You can use it as a soup; serve it atop nachos; drizzle it on hotdogs; serve it as a taco salad; and even as a yummy dip for bread!  I even make my own whole wheat tortillas- it is so easy to do and uses only 5 ingredients! The packages of tortillas you buy in the store are loaded with preservatives and chemicals...not mine! You can get the recipe HERE.

Both recipes are easy to make and are done in less than 30 minutes. This is NOT a recipe that you have to live by!  Add additional spices if you like your food spicy or add some smokey herbs for a more smoked flavor.

HERE IS A GOURMET TIP: Okay, maybe not gourmet but it does enhance the flavor in a crazy way. Add 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder or a small handful of chocolate chips to your soup while cooking. Chocolate is an ingredient found in a traditional Mexican mole sauce and it will bring a truly amazing undertone to your soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of black beans (drained and rinsed)
• tablespoon oil or cooking spray
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup of salsa (or canned tomatoes with chilies)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Garnish ideas:
Cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla strips, hot sauce,  diced onions, diced peppers, chives, tomatoes, etc.
Directions:

1. Saute onions in the oil until almost transparent.
2. Add in the seasonings
3. Blend 1/2 of the beans in the blender until smooth. This step will thicken your soup (if you are hiding the beans like I do for my kids...blend them all!)
4. Add the beans and salsa/tomatoes and cook for about 20 minutes
5. Right before serving - squeeze in the lime juice. If you don't have lime--no worries! It is just an enhancement.

NOW...for the QUICK VERSION!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 can of  tomatoes with chilies. (depending on the brand you can find chili ready, tomatoes with chilies, etc)

Directions:

1. Blend together half of your beans and the can of tomatoes
2. Cook for a few minutes
3. SERVE!

I hope your family enjoys this "health" based soup and can find even more ways to use it throughout the week!



PS. You can totally use this soup to make a SUPER HEALTHY TACO! Click HERE for my 5 steps to a HEALTHIER TACO!

 

Healthy Homemade Almond Butter

Hello, my name is Heather, and I am an almond butter..ADDICT! Okay, maybe there isn't a group for people addicted to almond butter BUT, if there were, I would need a seat and a doughnut (also an addiction).

So, you now may be asking WHY I am addicted to almond butter. The main reason is that it contains amazing health benefits! It is Naturally rich in Vitamin E and magnesium and offers more calcium, fiber, potassium, and iron than traditional peanut butter. It does ALL of this and with less saturated fat :)! It also doesn't hurt that Almond Butter is so versatile! You can use it as a dip, just as peanut butter, or even in a gourmet tasting FROSTING!

Now...for the UGLY side of Almond Butter....It is EXPENSIVE! One jar organic or All-Natural Almond Butter can cost close to $10!  As much as I love it....spending $10 for a jar that will be gone in a day is not going to happen at my house. So...I was lucky enough to have my Blogger Buddy Jelli from Jellibean Journals who recently shared a recipe for homemade All-Natural Peanut Butter.  I thought if it would work for Peanut Butter....it just might work for Almond Butter-IT DID!

I hate to say it but this is a very simple recipe - which is a HUGE plus in my house.  It is also a very CLEAN recipe with a SHORT ingredient list. We are avoiding all chemicals in our home so this is vital to us. This homemade almond butter is so easy to make that I can not believe that I did not try it before.....

INGREDIENTS:

1 ingredient! NO CHEMICALS!

1. 3 cups of RAW or ROASTED almonds

Yep...THAT's IT! Feel free to toss in a hint of cocoa powder, salt, spice, honey, maple syrup, or vanilla to make a gourmet treat!




DIRECTIONS:

1. Blend in Food Processor for about 10 minutes. make sure you scrape the sides down as needed.
2. Store in fridge and always stir before you use it! The oils will naturally separate.

See...I bet you never knew it could be this easy to make homemade almond butter but after you try it....you will think it is the ONLY way to get your Almond Butter FIX!

If you enjoyed this recipe...check out a few of my other super easy organic recipes:

Super Easy Organic Ranch Dressing
Organic Peanut Butter and Chocolate Granola
2 ingredient Greek Yogurt Dough

There are many more on the site so stay a while and look around! Don't forget to follow me on Social Media! Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

Don't forget to check out Conscious Box! Tons of fantastic Eco-Friendly Items delivered to your door each month! You can earn points for Freebies by reviewing the items you receive! That's a WIN WIN!

Soy-Free Vegetarian Breakfast Sausage Recipe

I hate to admit it-I am a VEGGIE SAUSAGE ADDICT! Sounds harmless enough, right?!? Not to me. I am also trying to go as organic as possible (I am 95% of the way there) and the ingredient list on the box of my favorite veggie sausages just aren't sitting right with me.....

The brand shall remain nameless...

Ingredients:

WHEAT GLUTEN WITH WATER FOR HYDRATION, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE WITH WATER FOR HYDRATION, WATER, CORN OIL, EGG WHITES, SODIUM CASEINATE, MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF SOYBEAN OIL, LACTOSE, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, HYDROLYZED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (WHEAT GLUTEN, CORN GLUTEN, SOY PROTEIN), AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, SPICES, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, MODIFIED VEGETABLE GUM, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, SALT, CARAMEL COLOR, DISODIUM INOSINATE, CRUSHED RED PEPPER, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, WHEY*, MALTODEXTRIN, RED BELL PEPPERS, HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, BLACK PEPPER, CAYENNE PEPPER, DEXTROSE, ONION POWDER, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, TETRASODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE, SUCCINIC ACID, NIACINAMIDE, MONOSODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID, ASCORBIC ACID, BREWER'S YEAST, TORULA YEAST, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SOY LECITHIN, IRON (FERROUS SULFATE), THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), VITAMIN B12.

NOTHING about that list says organic! It may be lower in fat and cholesterol than traditional sausage but I see tons of modified foods and chemicals in the ingredient list. This forced me to go without my favorite breakfast food! Let's not even mention the price of the meatless options. It's something like $5 for 6 small patties. NOT hitting my budget line either.

So, I looked online to find something I could easily and inexpensively make at home. I found many recipes that used TVP (which is debatable by many for those who are eating organically), tempeh, gluten products, and soy. Who readily keeps these items readily at home? Okay...maybe a few of us but I was looking for a "cleaner" - less processed- version of the recipe.

This recipe can be edited and adjusted to suit your favorite type of sausage. Add Italian spices if you like or add some apples and jalapenos for a twist!  Just start with the base and party on!

Ingredients:

• 1 can of rinsed Garbanzo Beans
• 1 cup of Organic Oats
• 2 Tablespoons of wheat flour
• 1 egg (can be omitted to be vegan)
• 1/2 teaspoon of mustard
• 1 teaspoon of crushed fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
•  1 teaspoon of sage
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1-2 teaspoons of sweetener. I use Stevia or Organic Maple Syrup. Any sweetener will work.

 Directions:

1. Add all ingredients except oats into a food processor. I like the texture of the Garbanzo beans so I sometimes mash the ingredients together with the bottom of a cup to avoid the food processor mess!
2.  Add in the oats and stir one last time. 
3. Form into "patties" and grill over medium high heat until golden brown on both sides.

If you are looking for some other Vegetarian recipes...Check out My vegetarian Chicken Nuggets Also made with Garbanzo beans. I try to prep these on the same day as the ingredients are very similar! You can also add an easy hummus dip to the day! The star of that heart healthy dish is also---The garbanzo bean!

http://fitfrugalrecipes.blogspot.com/2013/04/faux-chicken-nuggets-vegetarian-awesome.html

Organic French Dressing - Low Carb

If you are following (and I hope you are), you may know that my family is eating at least 95% Organic these days. I am determined to keep chemicals out of our food and committed to doing it on a budget!

I was shocked when we started our journey and began looking at the back of bottles. The most surprising labels were the ones that most people consider to be "health" foods. Check out this list of ingredients taken directly from Kraft's website!

YOU CAN CLICK HERE FOR MY POST ON 8 HEALTH FOODS TO AVOID

Do you know what Natural Flavor is? How about Phosphoric Acid? Why use Red and Blue Food coloring...just use real ingredients!

Ingredients: SUGAR, TOMATO PUREE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), VINEGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, SALT, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, PHOSPHORIC ACID, DRIED ONIONS, XANTHAN GUM, GUAR GUM, NATURAL FLAVOR, RED 40, BLUE 1, SORBIC ACID AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FRESHNESS).



Anyway, that just wasn't going to work for us! I tried buying Organic French at the grocery store but paying $4-$5 for one bottle of dressing was a bit pricey (if you don't know me, I am cheap)!

So....I started looking for recipes online. There are a lot out there and many use ketchup/catsup as their main ingredient. For some reason, I have a personal vendetta against the sugary red stuff. I blame this on my younger brother who did and still does eat it on EVERYTHING! I can't smell it, look at it, or hear the dreaded plop of ketchup.

I had to come up with something! I came up with a tangy version of the dressing which is void of chemicals and overly processed foods YET super high in flavor! Feel free to edit this recipe to your liking. French dressing is like coffee, there are TONS of ways to have it: tangy; sweet; creamy; spicy, etc. Make it YOUR WAY!

Ingredients:

• 1/4- 1/2 cup Organic Tomato Sauce
• 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 White Onion (chopped)
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• 3 tbsp. Stevia or use an organic sugar. Honey may be great too! Using sugar or honey will add carbs but if you aren't watching those, use whatever you have on hand!

Some optional additions: 1 teaspoon lemon juice to brighten flavor, tobasco sauce, hint of stone mustard, crushed garlic, etc. You can change this up however you would like!

Directions:
 This is as easy as it gets!

1.  Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. 
2. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container. The longer it sets, the more the flavor develops! I like to use it the next day.

Sorry the directions were so short BUT if it isn't easy....it isn't getting done around my house! Eating organic is a lifestyle for us which means that we have to stay within our budget and we have to be able to execute it.

Here are a few more of my favorite Organic Dressing Recipes!

If you are interested in making an Organic Ranch Dressing that is super yummy and super healthy..CLICK HERE!

Or....
try my
Sweet Citrus& Onion Dressing HERE
 
Go all out and try some homemade mayo- only 5 ingredients!


Please remember to follow me on your favorite social media source to stay updated on all of my THRIFTY Organic Recipes!

If you have a favorite dressing you would like for me to replicate...let me know and I would be happy to do it! Thanks for checking me out!