Recipe: Dairy-free Pumpkin Ice Cream

This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving, so we are celebrating with a sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan ice cream recipe that everyone will love.

INGREDIENTS (Organic):

4 medium bananas*, sliced and frozen overnight
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree (not pie-filling)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon: pumpkin spice (cinnamon and nutmeg)

*If you are allergic to bananas – mango works as well – will be a little sweeter but give a similar creaminess.

Method:

Using a blender or food processor, blend the bananas, pumpkin, maple syrup, and pumpkin spice thoroughly. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 24 hours.

Serves 4 as a main 6 as a side dessert or in a cone.

Nutrition: Performance Food – Seed Bread

This super nutrient-dense seed bread is the perfect pre and post workout food, and a great alternative for breakfast and an on-the-go snack.

Ingredients
1 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup flax seeds
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 ½ cups rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (optional)
3 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 ½ cups water

Method
In a parchment lined loaf pan, combine all dry ingredients. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a separate bowl. Add mixture to the dry ingredients and combine until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick, adding 1-2 teaspoons water if dough is too thick to stir. Smooth top and let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Bake bread for 20 minutes, then remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down, removing parchment, directly on a rack, and bake for another 30-40 minutes (it should feel and look baked). Let cool completely before slicing with bread knife.

Approximately 15g of protein per 1″ slice.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Recipes: Power Date Squares – Breakfast/Snack

Ingredients

Date Mixture
• 2 ½ cups of cut and pitted Medjool dates
• Juice and zest of one Meyer lemon and one lime (about ½ cup)
• 1 cup water
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp Himalayan salt

Top and Bottom
• 1 3/4 cups raw oats (soaked) or quick oats
• 1 cup (250 ml) spelt flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour (if you are O blood – use 1 1/4 cup spelt and ¼ cup maple syrup)
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) baking powder or substitute like arrowroot flour
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) salted butter, softened (if you are paleo you may substitute coconut oil cold in place – or a mix of both if you want the buttery overtones in the pastry mixture.

Method
• Line an 8” pan with parchment paper that runs up all sides
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a saucepan, bring the dates, water, lemon & lime juice to a boil. Add the baking soda and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the dates have fallen apart. Let cool.
• In a food processor, combine all the ingredients in the bowl and pulse until mixed – but not overly so.
• Stick this in the fridge for 15/20 minutes
• Take after the mixture and press evenly into the lined pan. Bake for around 8 minutes or until it starts looking slightly golden.
• Remove and evenly spread out the date mixture over this layer.
• Crumble – hand and fork are best method – the rest of the mixture on the top.
• Return to oven for 20 minutes – or until it is nice and golden
• Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares