Spring is in the Air and Chocolate is Everywhere!

Dairy-Free Chocolate Bunnies and Chicks. 

Whether you celebrate Easter or not, it’s always good to celebrate spring with our newborn furry friends. It is believed that the bunny became part of the spring tradition because it was associated with a symbol of new life. Kind of like how we feel going from cold winters into spring.  We feel reborn!

Part of having a healthy attitude towards food is integrating treats in along the way, so here is a special, treat recipe to celebrate a new spring. 

Dairy-Free Chocolate Bunnies and Chicks: The only ingredient you need for this is dairy-free, vegan white chocolate chips. I used Pascha white baking chips, but you can use any vegan white chocolate you prefer.  I also tried to make it sugar-free by using Navitas White Cacao Butter but haven’t perfected the recipe yet. 

You can also add natural food colors (I used food colors from nature) to give them color or fruit flavorings to give them flavor.  I made the bunny with plain white chocolate and used lemon coloring and flavoring for the chick.  Some other ideas are pink coloring and strawberry flavor or orange coloring and orange flavoring.  I like the frontier co-op flavors for flavoring ingredients.  

Directions: 

  1. Melt white chocolate in a pot or sauté pan on low heat. 
  2. If you want white colored animals, pour the mixture into bunny/chick molds and place in the freezer until frozen (about 45 minutes). 

OR

  1. Melt chocolate and then add a sprinkle of coloring at a time into the melted chocolate until you have the desired color you want. 
  2. Once you have the desired color, add a drop of flavoring, one at a time until you have the desired flavor.  
  3. Then add mixture to bunny shaped or chick shaped molds. Place in the freezer and freeze until firm. 
  4. Remove from the freezer and serve immediately. They melt quickly! 

Let us know if you end up trying any of these chocolates and if so how you made them? 

Bibimbap

Bibimbap

Superstar Chef Donna Marino @donnamarino shared this ultra-healthy, ultra-tasty, whole food recipe that she made for a cooking demo @luvinarmsanimalsanctuary last weekend. Deliciosa!  

Did you know? Bibimbap (pronounced “bee-BIM-bop”) is a Korean rice dish meaning fresh vegetables mixed with rice and topped with a spicy Korean chili paste, Gochujang or Indonesian based Sambal Oelek, which makes it unique. 

Nutrition

This recipe is loaded with nutrition! It has an astounding 22 grams of protein in it and is an excellent source of Vitamin A (contains around 150% of our daily recommended value per serving). It is also an excellent source of calcium, iron, folate and magnesium.  Plus it is incredibly high in B vitamins!!

Here’s what Chef Donna had to say about her tasty recipe.

Another idea for a great veggie and grain bowl comes from Korean cuisine. Bibimbap bowls can easily be made plant-based by omitting the egg and any other animal products. I’ll often make these when I want to finish up odds & ends in my fridge. My favorite combination is below:

1 package of firm tofu in water (not silken tofu)

4 tsp soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos

1 tsp real food Gochujang (Korean chili paste) or Sambal Oelek

4 ounces mushrooms, preferably Shiitakes

4 ounces spinach

1 cubed sweet potato

1 c. edamame beans

Pickled daikon or cucumber (see below)

1 – ½ C. cooked rice. You can always use brown rice or another grain, like quinoa. I like to experiment with different kinds of rice, like red or black, to add visual interest.

Pickled cucumber or daikon

I use this quick pickling method. It’s best if the cucumber can sit at least a few hours in the mixture; overnight is ideal. You can decide on the amount of cucumber you would like to use for this part of the recipe. 

¼ c. rice wine vinegar

¼ c. water

2 tsp sweetener (can use sugar, maple syrup, date syrup or other sweetener of choice)

1 tsp salt (or to taste).

Add all ingredients to saucepan and bring the mixture to a low boil. Pour over the sliced cucumber/daikon and cover in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Sauce

2 tbsp Gochujang

2 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp Tamari or coconut aminos

1-2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1-2 tsp maple syrup

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Toasted sesame seeds and green onion for garnish

Instructions

Cook rice or grains and set aside.

Drain the tofu well and cut into cubes. Place in a shallow bowl or pan and pour soy sauce mixed with half the Gochujang over it. Set aside for at least 30 minutes so it can absorb the flavors. Turn the cubes over so that all sides get marinated. Mix the rest of the sauce ingredients and set aside. You’ll pour this over the final dish.

Air frying is a great way to cook vegetables and tofu without hardly any fat. You can spray some oil on the ingredients before cooking them just to keep them from drying out, or you can omit completely. In the above recipe, I’ve air fried the sweet potato and tofu. Rest of ingredients (mushrooms, edamame, spinach) I sauté in a pan.

If you don’t have an air fryer, baking the tofu is a good alternative. Set the oven to 355° F and place the marinated cubes of tofu on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway.

Assemble by placing a layer of rice in a large bowl. Place vegetables on top of rice and top with pickled cucumbers; add sauce and garnish.

National Women’s History Month – Vegan Chefs

Celebrating these amazing women vegan chefs who are making history. We sought out women chefs that are not only plant-based vegan chefs, but also emphasis super healthy ingredients in their recipes.  

Bon Appetit!  

Britt Berline – Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

https://thebeet.com/healthier-for-you-dessert-vegan-gluten-free-and-paleo-chocolate-hazelnut-tart/

Jocelyn Ramirez – Jackfruit carnitas tacos

https://www.todoverde.org/blog/2021/8/12/jackfruit-carnitas-tacos

Amanda Cohen – Cold Tomato Soup With Grilled Zucchini & Basil Tapenade

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/chef-amanda-cohen-recipes#slide-3

Jenne’ Claiborne – Marinated white bean salad

Tracye McQuirter – Banana Walnut Mini Muffins 

Rachel Ama – Chickpea & Butternut Squash Coconut Curry – https://www.rachelama.com/recipe-blog/2019/9/24/chickpea-amp-butternut-squash-coconut-curry