Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies?!

I've seen a chocolate chip cookie recipe floating around pinterest for weeks.  The photos of the fresh from the oven cookies were mouth watering.  And then I read the recipe.  How could a cookie taste good without any flour and be mostly made of beans?  Yeah, beans.  Garbanzo beans to be exact.  Or chickpeas.  They're the same thing but some people only know them by one name or the other.  Don't gag, just keep reading....

A friend posted on facebook that she tried the recipe and that the cookies were not only good, but she and her children couldn't eat them fast enough.  It was right then and there that I printed out the recipe and made a batch.  Hard to believe, but these cookies are fantastic!  Okay, so they don't have the same taste as a knock your socks of traditional cookie, but the peanut butter and chocolate give great flavor!

Blending the ingredients...

Mixing the chocolate chips in to the bean and peanut butter mixture...

The cookies taste best when they're warm.  If you are eating the cookies after they have completely cooled, I recommend zapping them in the microwave for a few seconds.

Do not judge these cookies until you try one!  Plus, there is no oil, no butter, no flour, no white sugar, so they are semi healthy.  And gluten free and grain free! And mighty tasty.

1 1/4 c. canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), well-rinsed and patted dry
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp peanut butter
1/4 c. honey 
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn't have salt in it
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Combine first six ingredients (exclude chocolate chips) in a food processor and process until very smooth. Scrape the sides and the top to make sure all the garbanzo beans are accounted for.  Continue to process until all combined.


Put in the chocolate chips and stir. The cookie mixture will be thick and sticky.

With damp hands, form into 1 1/2" balls and place onto a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. These cookies won't change shape much as they bake so don't worry. Bake for about 10 minutes and enjoy!

Making Machine

Blake likes to tell me that I'm a 'maker'.  I make, bake, cook, create all sort of things in all sorts of mediums.  So I guess he is right!  Today I put my 'maker' skills to action and made a batch of pumpkin butter (my kids are addicted - on toast and waffles it can't be beat), a huge batch of gingered carrot soup and a week's worth of muesli.  The latter two recipes are part of my 28 to Great challenge.   I wish the pumpkin butter was part of the healthy menu suggestions... I could eat a whole jar!  Click here for my pumpkin butter recipe.

I'll be honest, I wasn't very excited to try the muesli because it seems a little like 'horse food'.  But, when you add the suggested plain nonfat or lowfat yogurt, nonfat milk or almond milk with about a half cup of berries and a splash of honey, you have got a pretty tasty breakfast!

And the gingered carrot soup is fantastic.  The flavor is really kicked up a notch when you serve it with chopped cilantro!  Give these recipes a try - they are all perfect for the fall.

Both recipes are courtesy of barre3 and Julia Sarver of Glow Health Coaching.

Morning MÜESLI
4 servings
1/2 c. rolled oats
1-2 tablespoons raw walnuts
1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1/2 c. organic berries
Sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg for flavor (optional)
Top with a little milk (organic dairy or unsweetened coconut, almond or hemp milk)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl.
Top with coconut or almond milk and enjoy.

You can also pour 4 ounces of boiling water over the meal if you want to create a semi-oatmeal type breakfast.



Gingered Carrot SoupServes 8

This is a perfect light soup for lunchtime. Be sure to use the regular coconut milk, not the Lite version, to get the full benefits of the milk.

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced gingerroot
4 tablespoons dry sherry or white wine
3 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground ginger
sea salt to taste
1 can coconut milk (Native Forest, full-fat)

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the leek and gingerroot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to brown—about 5 minutes. Add the sherry and carrots and stir to cook for about 1 minute.

Add the broth, ground ginger, and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a moderate simmer, cover, and cook until the carrots are tender— about 30 minutes.

Puree soup in batches and bring back to pot. Add coconut milk and stir.

Return the soup to a clean pot and reheat briefly. Do not let soup boil. Add additional coconut milk if desired. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

A Healthy Breakfast Option

I'm participating in a '28 to Great' challenge with barre3.  The amazing owner, Sadie Lincoln, asked for volunteers to participate in a trial of a new workout program she is putting together.  I jumped at the chance to work closely with her while getting fit with other women around the country.

Turns out this trial is 28 days of specific workouts (via an online library of barre3 workouts) as well as a new look at the way I eat.  Included in the program are lots of healthy meal options and suggestions of what to eat and avoid.  I'm three days in and feeling great but really missing flour and sugar! I think my body was meant to survive only on those two items...  I also see no mention of wine or coffee in the food list - we'll see how this goes!

One of the breakfast suggestions is an egg scramble with sauteed onions and parsley.  I added a clove of garlic too. Eggs are a great source of protien and help keep you full longer than many of my usual breakfast choices.  It was excellent and I recommend giving it a try... just dice up some onion and garlic and saute for a couple minutes.  Add in some parsley then add two eggs that you've beaten lightly. Stir to cook and enjoy!