BFF Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Are you in love with chocolate hazelnut spreads like Nutella, but want to avoid the unsavoury add-ins like palm oils and excess amounts of sugar? Or do you just love rich and satisfying nut butters?… More

BFF Simple Salad Dressing (3 Fun Ways!)

Salad dressing can make or break an otherwise healthy salad. While it may be quick and easy to pick up a bottle of prepared salad dressing, store bought salad dressings have long ingredients lists that… More

BFF Blueberry Cashew Yogurt

Cashews continue to amaze us! This week, we’ve whipped up a delicious tasting yogurt that uses cashews and nut milk instead of dairy, which is perfect if you are lactose intolerant or vegan! Cashew yogurt… More

BFF Matcha Latte Chia Pudding

“2 superfoods in one dish, and you’re telling me it tastes like a latte?” you may say, astounded.

From my very first sip of a matcha green tea latte, I was in love. From my very first glance at the nutrition info of said latte, I was shocked and heartbroken. So imagine my shock when, years later, I combine chia seeds with matcha powder while casually whipping up a batch of chia pudding, only to take a little taste test and find that same flavour, falling in love all over again.

This matcha chia pudding tastes like sipping on a matcha latte, only it is full of healthy fats and fibre. It is the perfect breakfast, and a satisfying afternoon snack. It is almost too good to be true.

This batch makes 4 servings that fit nicely into small mason jars to take on the go, but sometimes it’s also nice to store it in a big container to whip up a big chia bowl topped with fruit and nuts. The choice is yours, but either way if you love matcha lattes, we’re sure you’ll love this filling superfood pudding.

We got everything we need. Look at that green health!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp matcha powder
• 2 tbsp agave syrup or honey
• ½ cup chia seeds
• 2.5 cups unsweetened nut milk

Blending it up for that smooth, dreamy latte feel. 

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend. (Alternatively, you could mix ingredients together with a whisk but the pudding will not come out as smooth).
2. Divide mixture in 4 small mason jars, or place in a sealed container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Enjoy!

Perfect for storing, portioning, and stashing in your bag. 

Nutrition* (for 1/4 of recipe): 156 calories, 7.1 g fat (0.6 g saturated, 4.3 g polyunsaturated, 1.2 g monounsaturated, 0 g trans), 0 mg cholesterol, 103.1 mg sodium, 169.9 mg potassium, 20.4 g carbs, 9.1 g fibre, 4.5 g protein, 58.8% vitamin A, 15.1% vitamin C, 43.7% calcium, 7.5% iron.

*calculated using unsweetened vanilla almond milk

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BFF Peanut Butter Banana Bars

Mmmm, bananas and peanut butter are a classic. These peanut butter banana bars are like a peanut butter banana sandwich to go, with the added goodness of oats.

We love these bars as an on-the-go breakfast, or a pick me up in the afternoon. Bake a batch on Sunday, and enjoy for the whole week! This recipe makes 12 bars.

Ingredients:

• 3 ½ cups oats
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cups unsweetened nut milk
• ⅓ cup peanut butter*
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 chia egg (or regular egg)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ⅓ cup chopped walnuts

So wholesome.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a blender, blend 2 cups of the oats until they resemble flour.
3. In a bowl, mix blended oats, remaining oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the rest of the wet ingredients one by one.
5. Poor into a greased 8×8 pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until top has browned a fork goes through clean.
6. Store in an airtight container on countertop for 3 days or in refrigerator for up to 6 days.

Nutrients (for 1 bar of 12)**: 167 calories, 6.9 g fat (1 g saturated, 2.3 g polyunsaturated, 0.9 g monounsaturated, 0 g trans), 0 mg cholesterol, 252.1 mg sodium, 35.2 mg potassium, 23.4 g carbs, 4.1 g fibre, 0.6 g sugar, 5 g protein, 0.9% vitamin A, 0.1% vitamin C, 5% calcium, 8% iron.

*if using an unsweetened nut butter, we recommend you add a couple tablespoons of maple syrup or honey, as these bar are already not very sweet

**calculated using unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a chia egg, and regular kraft smooth peanut butter.  

BFF Lime Cashew Garlic Sauce

Recently we’ve been experimenting in the kitchen with cashews, and they can do so much more than we ever realized. Soaking cashews gives them a whole new texture, and there is so much you can make with creamy soaked cashews from garlic sauce, to cashew milk, to cashew yogurt. This is the first of our cashew recipes, but if the rest of our experiments go well it certainly won’t be the last!

This garlic sauce is made from simple ingredients you may already have in the kitchen. All it takes is lime, cashews, garlic, some water, and whatever herbs you have laying around to whip up an amazing flavour addition to your next meal.

There are so many herb combinations that go well with garlic sauce! This makes our lime cashew garlic sauce versatile enough to be used for several different meals – all you have to do is blend a different herb in each time for an exciting new combination!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsalted cashews, soaked in water
• ⅓ cup water, to start
• 2 cloves garlic (or 1 big clove)
• ½ lime, juiced
• 2 tbsp fresh herbs (see below for tips on herb selection)*

Such simple and fun ingredients!

Directions:

1. Soak cashews in water for a minimum of 3 hours. Usually we leave the cashews to soak in the morning and then make the sauce around dinner.
2. Chop up herbs and garlic.
3. Drain cashews, and combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding extra water to reach desired consistency if necessary.

*HERB TIPS: Rosemary lime cashew garlic sauce tastes great when drizzling garlic sauce over potatoes or sweet potatoes. Cilantro lime cashew garlic sauce is yummy drizzled over a quinoa bowl or with black beans and corn. Parsley lime cashew garlic sauce goes well with chickpeas and white kidney beans. Dill lime cashew garlic sauce is delicious drizzled over baked fish.

Let us know what your favourite herb and garlic combination is in the comments!

Mmmm, we love drizzling our garlic sauce over a balanced tempeh bowl.

Nutrition* (for ⅕ of recipe): 70 calories, 4.9 g fat (0.8 g saturated, 0.8 g polyunsaturated, 2.8 g monounsaturated, 0 g trans), 0 mg cholesterol, 2.5 mg sodium, 18.3 mg potassium, 4.4 g carbs, 0.6 g fibre, 0.9 g sugars, 2.2 g protein, 0.4% vitamin A, 3.9% vitamin C, 1.1% calcium, 4.4% iron. *calculated using fresh rosemary.

BFF Spicy Chickpea Chips

Do you live for a nice, salty crunch? We’ve got the perfect, healthy recipe for you!

 

These chickpea chips offer the perfect little snack to satisfy your cravings, while giving you the nutritional benefits of chickpeas healthy fats, fibre, and protein. So whip a can of chickpeas out of the pantry, grab your spices, and get baking!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 19 oz can of chickpeas
• 2 tsps olive oil
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp garlic
• ½ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Drain and rinse chickpeas, and dry well with a tea towel
3. Toss chickpeas in olive oil.
4. Lay out on a cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly brown, but not burnt.
5. Combine spices a medium sized bowl
6. Toss chickpeas with spicy immediately when they come out the over.

TIP: where an oven mit in one hand while collecting chickpeas in a spoon with the other to prevent burns.

Nutrition (for 1/4 of recipe): 151 calories, 5.5 g fat (0.6 g saturated, 0.7 g polyunsaturated, 2.6 g monounsaturated, 0 g trans), 0 mg cholesterol, 284.5 mg sodium, 139.1 mg potassium, 21.3 g carbs, 6 g fibre, 3 g sugar, 6 g protein, 51.7% vitamin A, 0.6% vitamin C, 3.4% calcium, 11.4% iron.

BFF Pesto Hummus

If you hadn’t guessed, we love basil. That’s why we added it to our fresh hummus – and one complimentary taste led to another, until we had replaced the traditional tahini with pine nuts for a fresh pesto taste.

This pesto is the perfect dip to pair with fresh veggies and whole grain pitas in the summer. We love it as a snack, or on sandwiches for a bit of basil to go.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cup chickpeas (1 19 oz can)
• 1 cup fresh basil, packed
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Lightly toast pine nuts by using a non-stick pan to heat them over medium for a few minutes, stirring often.
2. Throw everything in a blender or food processor and mix it up until smooth. Add a bit more water if necessary to reach desired consistency.
3. Scoop it out and eat it up! Refrigerate for up to a week.

Nutrition (for ¼ of recipe): 205 calories, 13.3 g fat (1.4 g saturated, 0.8 g polyunsaturated, 5 g monounsaturated, 0 trans), 0 mg cholesterol, 246.6 g sodium, 44.3 g potassium, 16.1 g carbs, 4.3 g fibre, 2.2 g sugar, 6.8 g protein, 18% vitamin A, 7.4% vitamin C, 2.6% calcium, 6.5% iron.

BFF Black Bean Brownies

The infamous black bean brownies. We’ve all heard people raving about them, but are they really that great?

To our surprise, we found out they are even better than great. They are eat-a-whole-batch in one night amazing. They are fool your friends and family ready. Black bean brownies are everything.

This BFF original recipe was made after hours of scouring the internet, trying to figure out what we could possibly put in these brownies to make them edible, and how we could make them with ingredients we already had at home. The coffee in this is essential, as it really masks the bean taste and brings out the rich flavour of chocolate. However, feel free to use decaf if you wish. It’s all about the flavour! We also love the muffin tin because the brownies come out in perfect little cups, ready for munching.

These brownies are filling and decadent. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Everything you’ll need to get these brownies mixing and baking.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cup black beans
• 2 tbsp coffee
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 2 chia eggs (or regular eggs)
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Get mixing!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰F.
2. Add black beans, coconut oil, and coffee to a blender and blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients except chocolate chips to the blender and continue blending.
3. Lightly grease a muffin tin.
4. Pour muffin mixture from blender into the muffin tin. Top each brownie with a few chocolate chips.
5. Bake for 25 mins. Remove with a spoon when cool.

Yum! Time to dig in!

Nutrition: 169 calories, 8.6 g fat (6.5 saturated, 0.4 polyunsaturated, 0.6 monounsaturated, 0 trans), 3.3 mg cholesterol, 181.3 mg sodium, 232.5 mg potassium, 23.2 g carbs, 5.2 g fibre, 13.8 g sugars, 4 g protein, 0% vitamin A, 1.8% vitamin C, 6.4% calcium, 10.9% iron.

Chia Seed “Eggs”

Out of eggs? Vegan? Need to do some baking? Have some chia seeds handy?

Then this one is for you!

Chia seed egg substitute is easy to make and works like a charm in baking, with less of that weird taste of flax seed egg substitute.

Is there anything the chia seed can’t do?

All you need for 1 egg substitution is:

• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 3 tbsps water

Multiply this recipe by the number of eggs you will need.

To make:

Grind up chia seeds. I usually use my coffee grinder for this. Place in a small container, mix in water, and let sit in your fridge for 10 minutes. Viola! Ready to use chia egg substitute.

If not now, when will you make your chia seed eggs?

 

BFF Mocha Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seed pudding is all the rage these days. For breakfast, we like a little kick in ours, so we’ve created this delectable new BFF mocha version of the classic chia seed pudding. Set in mason jars, this makes the perfect breakfast or snack on-the-go. It’s also super quick to prep the night before. Double the recipe if you eat them as quickly as we do!

This pudding isn’t super sweet so if you have a sweet tooth you may want to add more sweetener of your choice for a dessert you’ll enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
• ¼ cup coffee
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp maple syrup (or agave or honey)
• 1 dash salt
• 2 8oz mason jars for refrigeration
• Berries for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients (except mason jars and berries) in a bowl and whisk together, ensuring none of the cocoa powder is in clumps.
2. Use a spatula to pour into 2 8 oz mason jars, scraping sides of bowl.
3. Seal jars and refrigerate for 5 hours or more. When the pudding is a jelly-like consistency, you’ll know it’s ready!
4. Top with berries, grab a spoon, and dig in to enjoy!

Nutrition: 259 calories, 11.4 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 93.8 mg sodium, 166.9 mg potassium, 36.5 g carbs, 12.5 fibre, 20.0 g sugar, 6.6 g protein, 5% vitamin A, 43.2% calcium, 21.1%