chickpea chocolate chip blondies + global pulse day round up

 

happy global pulse day!!! i am celebrating over a big bowl of kale & white bean soup that i made live on NOM last night. it has been so cold, rainy & miserable here so i couldn't think of anything better then a comforting pot of soup to enjoy all week long! i am also sharing the recipe for chickpea chocolate chip blondies & rounding up ALL my favourite recipes i have made for the blog that include different types of pulses. yes, you heard that correctly... chickpea blondies! i actually can't even count how many times i have made these (& eaten the entire batch in one sitting, but it is healthy, so that's okay.. i think). they are so good & while they might not taste exactly like a traditional blondie they are good in a whole other way.

since it is safe to assume all our resolutions this month include eating healthier, these recipes will make that super easy. incase you aren't familiar with "pulses" they include various beans, peas & lentils that appear in all sorts of food that you eat! chickpeas, chickpea flour, yellow & green split peas, lentils, beans & so on. why should we eat pulses aside from all the delicious foods we make out of them? (i had to include TWO hummus recipes in this round up because who isn't obsessed with hummus) because they are good for us of course! working with pulse canada over the last year, i have been fortunate enough to learn about all the benefits pulses give us. they are the future of better nutrition & health, good for the planet, versatile & affordable AND my fellow canadian's we are one of the world's largest producers of pulses! this means they are pretty easy to get your hands on, canadian or not.

anyways, i hope you take the pulse pledge with me this year (click here to take the pledge or go to pulsepledge.com) & add pulses to your diet. just think, you can make a different flavoured hummus EVERY week or a cozy pot of chili for the cold winter days. below is a recipe link to some of my favourite pulse recipes as well as the new recipe for chickpea blondies!

xo

pulse recipe round up

1. split pea pesto spaghetti- a summer inspired dish made with split pea pesto & roasted peppers.

2. garlic hummus- a classic hummus flavoured with a touch of garlic. serve with warm pita or sliced veggies!

3. roasted balsamic chickpea salad- a vegetarian salad where roasted balsamic chickpeas become the main source of protien. tossed in a honey balsamic dijon vinaigrette.

4. black bean + turkey chili- my go to winter dish, turkey chili! you can substitute the black beans for any type of bean & the turkey for any ground meat. this dish is loaded with flavour.

5. roasted beet, onion & garlic hummus- my pretty in pink hummus that was a huge hit this month! it features roasted beets, garlic & onion. i serve it with harvest snaps which are a healthy split pea snack!

chickpea chocolate chip blondies

ingredients

  • 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed throughly
  • 1/2 cup natural smooth peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (can substitute raw, brown or white sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips (milk or dark)

directions

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees & line a 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
  • in a blender add the chickpeas, peanut butter, coconut sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, baking powder & baking soda. pulse until mixture is smooth.
  • fold in chocolate chips & spread mixture evenly into the baking dish.
  • bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges turn a golden brown.

chocolate cashew trail mix

 

because the entertaining season never truly ends after the holidays, i am teaming up with ghirardelli this month to create the perfect snack foods to serve if you are hosting a party or get together! between game day, the awards + everything in between there are plenty of opportunities to invite your friends over this winter season & put together the ultimate snack table! if you are anything like me, chocolate has to be included in everything. for this snack recipe i incorporated Ghirardelli's various chocolate covered products into a fun trail mix. i basically incorporated all my favourite munchies into one bowl of pure deliciousness. trail mix is easy to mix up, serve & even easier to devour! the first time i put a bowl of this out, it was gone within the hour. i love seeing what ingredients people pick out as a favourite. i am totally that person who sneaks all the chocolate covered pieces first! i used cashews as the base & used raw cashews, Ghirardelli's sea salt dark chocolate cashews & Ghirardelli's sea salt milk chocolate cashews. ALL the cashews! the result is a wholesome, high quality snack that you can take or serve just about anywhere. it works as a perfect grab & go snack as well to tuck into lunches. what do you mix into your trail mixes?!

ingredients

  • 1 4.8 oz package of Ghirardelli milk chocolate sea salt cashew
  • 1 4.8 oz package of Ghirardelli dark chocolate sea salt cashew
  • 2 cups banana chips
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup salted large cashews
  • 1 cup coconut chips or shredded coconut
  • 2 cups mini pretzels

directions

  • in a large mixing bowl add milk chocolate sea salt cashews, dark chocolate sea salt cashews, banana chips, dried cranberries, cashews, coconut chips & pretzels.
  • toss until combined & serve in desired serving bowl.
  • can be stored up to two weeks.

green tea + blueberry granola bars

 

for the longest time i have been wanting to make my own granola bars! i don't know why it has taken me THIS long. i have made my own granola countless times (like this honey berry granola or this almond, coconut & white chocolate), so why not make them into a bar? you can save a fortune by making your own because those pre-packaged ones come with only half a dozen to a box & they are filled with ingredients that probably shouldn't be in a granola bar. now this is technically my second time making them because i tested out a batch of simple granola bars first with no fun flavours or ingredients. for the blog, i knew i wanted to make not your average granola bar recipe & because you know how much i love mixing matcha with white chocolate it seemed like the perfect opportunity to put those flavour combinations together once again! here i used the only matcha i will ever use, which is aiya's cooking grade matcha powder. it is specially blended for food & beverages to help provide a vibrant colour, nutrition & a lasting aroma when combined with other ingredients. this recipe is wholesome & healthy for all those getting back to clean eating this month. okay, i know i put white chocolate but you can subtitute that for a healthier dark chocolate or leave it out all together! i just figured all the good cancels out the touch of bad:)

p.s. these bars taste amazing crumbled over some vanilla yogurt!

ingredients

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup raw honey
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (can substitute canola oil, melted coconut oil or melted unsalted butter)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon aiya's matcha powder (i use the cooking grade matcha powder blend)
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 pinch of cinnamon
  • 3/4 cups almonds (roughly chopped or slivered)
  • 1/2 cup organic white chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries (can substitue 1/2 cup dried blueberries)

directions

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • in a large mixing bowl toss oats with honey, oil, vanilla, matcha powder, salt & cinnamon until well coated.
  • stir in almonds, white chocolate & fresh blueberries.
  • line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper & press oat mixture firmly into dish.
  • bake for 30-40 minutes, until the oats have turned a slight golden brown.
  • let cool completely before slicing into bars.