Will Run For Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Celebrate fall with chocolate zucchini bread! 

I don't know about you but after a big event (Montreal)I lose just about all motivation to train.  It's usually fear of my next event that eventually gets me out of the door.  That and feeling like a giant slug isn't much fun.

I've discovered in the past two weeks that eating and training  are not the same thing so you probably shouldn't exchange one for the other.

I've been reminded of just how intense cross-fit workouts are (four days later I could finally walk normally).

And I've come to realize that running the least amount possible between now & my next half-marathon at the end of October may not be the best strategy if I want to be able to climb the three flights to my classroom on the Monday after the race.

So even though eating and training are not the same thing here is a chocolate zucchini bread recipe.  You could put it in a cake pan and call it cake.  With a little frosting no one would know the difference.

So question of the day is how do you get back into training after a big event and/or the end of racing season?  

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

(1 loaf)

ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 C Cocoa (Camino is my favourite)

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 C melted coconut oil

1/2 C + 1 T unsweetened applesauce

3/4 C granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

2 C finely shredded zucchini (do not drain liquids)

1/3 C raw pecans

1/3 C chopped dates

Preheat oven to 350 F.   In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, dates, pecans and cinnamon.  In a medium bowl combine melted coconut oil, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla and zucchini.  Add wet mixture to dry mixture stirring until just combined.  Your batter will be thick enough to make you think that you might have forgotten something.  Pour batter into a greased loaf pan (silicone is my favourite) and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Share with your Granny & Great Aunt (if you are so lucky) over a cup of tea.

Maybe it's time to stop cursing all the zucchini on my counter

Will Run For Chocolate Banana Coffee Bites

I will not eat the entire batch.  I repeat, I will not....

I've been trying to convince Farmer that marathons are made out of donuts (homemade coconut creme donuts in particular). She however, assures me that marathons are made out of dahl.  She also thinks that 10K runs are made out of Kraft Dinner.  So, you can't really trust her.

Somewhere in between donuts and dahl are chocolate banana coffee bites.  They're made with dates, dark chocolate and chickpeas.  If this doesn't sound delicious to you that's okay.  I didn't really want to share anyway.

Sunday's run called for chocolate.  It was HORRIBLE! 20K of sleet, water squishing between my toes, trucks that refused to share the road, two loops, puddles and more puddles.  Naturally, the rain stopped not long after I got home.

I decided that chocolate banana coffee bites and coffee would make everything better.  That and picking up my feet.  And, a bag of frozen peas.

Chocolate Banana Coffee Bites

(serves 12)

Adapted from this Chocolate-Chip-Cookie-Pie recipe.

ingredients

1 19oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained

1 C pitted dates + 1/2 C water

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 C mashed ripe banana

1/3 C unsweetened soy milk (or milk of choice)

1 tsp instant coffee

1 T vanilla bean paste or extract

1 T + 1 1/2 tsp melted coconut oil

1/2 C oat flour (1/2 C rolled oats ground in blender or coffee grinder)

1/4 tsp salt

1 T Camino cocoa

1/4 C cocoa nibs

1/4 C Camino dark chocolate chips

In a medium sauce pan combine dates & water.  Simmer & stir until you're left with a thick paste.  In your high speed blender combine date paste, mashed banana, soy milk, instant coffee, vanilla bean paste, melted coconut oil and chickpeas.  Blend until smooth (no bean bits allowed!).  In a small bowl combine oat flour, baking soda & powder, salt, & cocoa.   Pour bean mixture into a large bowl and then add oat flour mixture.  Lastly, add cocoa nibs and chocolate chips.  Stir until combined.  Test batter to make sure that it isn't poisonous.  Repeat until you are satisfied.

Divide evenly amongst 12 silicone baking cups.  Bake for 30-35 minutes depending on how gooey you want your bites to be.

Enjoy after a long run.  Or a not so long run.  And/or on a rest day.  

smooth

Bean goodness + chocolate.

Better than cookie dough batter.

Why yes I will, thanks.

Will Run For Chocolate Patties

When you start running 19 K on Sunday for fun you might find yourself doing other things that you never thought that you would do.  Like busting into a hotel restaurant during mother's day brunch to "use the bathroom",  going to the bathroom in the woods (really a park with a walking trail, a parking lot, and a road that you didn't notice until it was just a little too late) or being the lookout (obviously not a very good one) for a pace bunny who really needs to drink some water, eat some vegetables, and forget the last 10K of the Ottawa Marathon ( 42K + Immodium = a fate worse than death).

On that note I thought that chocolate patties with dried fruit and nuts would be a delicious post run snack and great excuse to make fun of pace bunny.  If you aren't into chocolate patties served on poop bags chocolate cups aren't so bad. 

pistachios & candied pineapple

almonds and goji berries

dried cherries & cocoa nibs

Chocolate Cups

(serves 6)

ingredients

100 g of Camino Dark Bittersweet Chocolate 71% Cacao

1 tsp coconut oil (optional but delicious)

12 T nuts ( raw cashews, raw almonds, raw pistachios, cocoa nibs etc.)

6 T dried fruit ( goji berries, candied ginger, candied pineapple, dried cherries)

Melt chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler (you could do this in the microwave just remember to stop and stir often).  If making chocolate cups divide chocolate evenly amongst six cups and top with nuts and dried fruit.  If you're making chocolate patties spoon chocolate onto a silicone baking mat and top with fruits and nuts.  I placed the cups in the freezer for about 15 minutes until they were firm.   I'm pretty sure that this barely counts as a recipe but it's definately a quick and easy dessert or post run snack. 

Will Run For Almond & Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies

happy second breakfast

Last week over snacks with team spartan quinoa cookies came up.   I'll pretend it was an, "oh my,  quinoa cookies would be so delicious" conversation instead of a "what in the world are quinoa and cacao nibs and where do you find these strange things" kind of conversation.

For the record there was a run involved as well.  Long Limbs Rowlinson has been posting some pretty fast couch to 5K times and we wanted to see how she was doing.  Fine.  Truth be told we wanted to see if we were going to embarrass ourselves on actual race day.

If anything was embarrassing it was the way that we were walking after our 18K run today.  Walking is a term that I used loosely.  Hobbling would probably be more accurate.

On that note these cookies make a great second breakfast cookie or a post run cookie.

Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies

(6 cookies plus one sample cookie)

1 C ground oats

1/2 C ground quinoa

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 T brown sugar

2 T chocolate chips

1 T cocoa nibs

2 T chopped almonds

4 T unsweetened soy milk (or milk of your choice)

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

2 T olive oil

Preheat oven/baking stone to 375 F.  In your coffee grinder or blender grind 1 C oats and 1/2 C quinoa.  Place ground mixture in a medium sized bowl and add baking soda, sugar, chocolate chips, cocoa nibs, and almonds.  

nibs, chips and nuts

In a small measuring cup combine soy milk, vanilla bean paste and olive oil. 

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  Combine thoroughly.  Dough will seem slightly dry but will stick together.

cookie dough

Form 1/4 C of cookie dough into cookie shapes and bake for 8 minutes.

yum

Will Run For Melted Dark Chocolate & Crunchy Peanut Butter Dip

love in a bowl

Valentine's day ended much better than it began. 

glorified paper cut

It started with me smashing a glass/cutting my hand before 7 a.m.  (doesn't matter how many dishes I break I just can't seem to get out of dish duty).


In between there were some arguments with seven year olds about whether the day is called ValentiNe's or ValentiMe's day.  Some of them still aren't entirely convinced that it's called ValentiNe's day.  There were Justin Beiber cards, candy and lots of giggling girls.


Valentine's day (or Valentimes day depending on who you ask) ended with a kitchen party for Ms. Jenny, Farmer & I and pumpkin ricotta tarts with peanut butter crust  for the boys.  We've been put on notice.  They are moving to Jenny's.  Apparently the food is better there.  We'll send their troughs.

a different kind of love in a different kind of bowl

Enjoy your tarts I'll be eating chocolate and peanut butter.

Melted Dark Chocolate & Crunchy Peanut Butter Dip

(serves 3-4)

ingredients 

1/2 C peanut butter (or your favourite nut butter)

1/3 C camino dark chocolate (71 %)

1/4 C buckwheat honey

3 T coconut oil or coconut earth balance

1/4  tsp cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a small heavy bottomed saucepan.  Warm until all ingredients are melted.  Stir until well combined.  Serve with fresh fruit (apples, strawberries, bananas, etc.).

Will Run For Turtles

chocolate dipped bananas with turtle granola

Happy Noon Year!  Pace Bunny (PB) & I had a brilliant idea this year.  Rather than celebrating New Years Eve we thought that we would celebrate what PB has coined "Noon Year".  

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Noon Year it is celebrated at noon on December 31st by those who like to lounge around in various forms of spandex, while sipping coffee and eating waffles.

This year runners (all four) lined up in their  best hoodies, pink sweatbands (“ I thought you said rum”), black glitter ties and tights that hadn’t seen the light of day in years for what was supposed to be a 3K route (it’s a little too soon for some to talk about exactly how long, or slushy, uphill or close to the highway the run actually was).  

What does all of this have to do with turtles you might be wondering.  Instead of resolutions I've been thinking about races.  I'm looking forward to sloshing through mud, leaping over fire, and rappelling down a ravine in a tutu for the spartan race  and hopefully running two 1/2 marathons (also know as the marathon but PB isn't ready to hear that yet) for the Sudbury Rocks Marathon . The best part of racing (other than crossing the finish line) is all of the awesome snacks that you get to eat while you're training.  

On that note here are two recipes for granola packed with dates, pecans, and cocoa nibs and chocolate dipped bananas rolled in all kinds of turtle deliciousness.

Turtle Granola

(12 1/2 C servings)

ingredients

5 C rolled oats (I used rye, spelt, and oats)

1 C chopped pecans

1 C chopped dates

1/2 C cocoa nibs

4Tbsp buckwheat honey

2 Tbsp coconut oil (1 T olive oil + 1 T Earth Balance will also work)

Preheat oven to 350.  On a baking stone bake cocoa nibs & pecans for 15 minutes.  

Bake oats for 15 minutes (leave oven on).

While oats are baking in a small saucepan combine honey and coconut oil.  Heat over low heat until coconut oil has melted.

Combine oats, cocoa nibs, pecans and honey/coconut oil mixture until well combined.   Spread onto two baking stones and bake for an additional 15 minutes stirring midway through. 

Allow to cool completely before storing in your favourite glass mason jar.  Hide mason jar until breakfast.

Chocolate Dipped Bananas With Turtle Granola

(serves 4)

ingredients

2 firm bananas 

4 T turtle granola

2 ounces Camino bittersweet chocolate (or your favourite brand)

2 tsp coconut oil (olive will also work)

Line a plate or baking sheet with waxed paper.

Peel bananas and slice in half horizontally.

Insert a skewer into each piece of banana.  Place bananas on plate/baking sheet and allow to freeze for 30-60 minutes.

Over low heat (or using a double boiler) melt chocolate & coconut oil.

Dip each banana into chocolate and working quickly roll in turtle granola.

Serve immediately or cover and return to freezer.

Will Run For Not Quite Nanaimo

In celebration of surviving our elementary school Christmas concert (why is it that it feels like my students'  performance at the Christmas concert is as a direct reflection of my teaching ability or lack there of?), baking two hundred cookies with 23 seven year olds (I probably wouldn't eat them, I'm not going to lie), and a workout that made muscles that I didn't know I had SCREAM (sorry PB you may have to pull me in a sleigh tomorrow) I thought  that it was time for Nanaimo bars or macaroons or maybe both.

* When did it become okay in my mind to wear spandex in public in a small space with strangers?

BASE

ingredients

* 1/4 C date paste 

3 Tbsp ground cocoa nibs (you can find the nibs at the Bulk Barn)

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1/2 C unsweetened coconut

3/4 C rolled oats

1/4 C chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp melted coconut oil

* You can make date paste by soaking 1 cup dried dates in water for an hour or so, save 3 Tbsp of the water that they were soaking in and microwave them with reserved date water for 1-2 minutes and then blend into a smooth paste.  

Add cocoa, vanilla bean paste and melted coconut oil to date paste.

Add coconut, walnuts and rolled oats.

Divide and press into 6 silicone muffin cups.  Place in the freezer until you are finished with the middle layer.

Not Your Mother's Macaroons + ground cocoa nibs + walnuts

FILLING

ingredients

Cream 2 TBSP Earth Balance (or butter

1 TBSP brewed coffee

1.5 Tsp instant coffee

1 Tbsp vanilla Custard Pudding Powder (I used Birds)  

1 Cups Icing Sugar, sifted

* it's very possible that you will have filling left over.  I won't judge if you decide to eat it straight from the bowl.

Cream earth balance, then add brewed coffee, instant coffee and pudding powder.  Mix well ensuring that the instant coffee has dissolved.  Mix n the sifted icing sugar.  Spread over the base layer.  Freeze for 5-10 minutes.

is it wrong to eat just the filling?

TOP LAYER

ingredients

1.5 ounces of dark chocolate

1 1/2 tsp earth balance (or butter)

* double if you prefer a thicker chocolate topping.

Melt the chocolate squares and butter together in a bowl.

You can do this in the microwave, 20 seconds ... stir...20 seconds stir....etc.  Alternatively, place the smaller bowl of chocolate and earth balance into a larger bowl with just boiled water.

Pour and spread evenly over the top of the other layers.  Freeze.

Personally I like to eat these directly out of the freezer.  They are fairly large so you may want to cut them in half and share with a friend (or not).

If you are looking for a traditional Nanaimo square you can use the following for the base:

1/2 C butter

5 Tbsp cocoa

1 C coconut

1/2 C chopped walnuts

5 Tbsp sugar

2 C graham cracker crumbs

1 egg (or flax egg)

1/2 tsp vanilla 

Press into a 9" square pan.

Double the filling recipe. 

Double the chocolate topping.

the help was less than helpful but he's cute.

Will Run For Cake Pops!

what isn't there to love about cake on a stick?

I survived the first week of school (without having to cry at my desk or wear my tutu to school)!  There was some doubt.  The tutu making kit was ready just incase (how can you feel anything but happy in tule, organza ribbon, glitter, etc.).

My week was most definately better than some of my colleagues.  I did not ask a small child if he needed to use the bathroom only to hear, "No.  The poop already came out".  I didn't have more students than chairs and no one called me an old lady.

Today is our cousins gathering.  Cousin J shows us up just about every time we get together.  Last time it was his delicious chocolate cinnamon vegan cake.  Granny wanted to know why my cakes never taste like J's (whole wheat flour Granny!  Whole wheat flour!).  J couldn't stop at a delicious cake.  He needed to add cinnamon buns!

ridiculously delicious!

Apparently salad is no match for cinnamon buns EVEN if if it's a salad from the new Peas and Thank You cookbook.

chickpea strawberry mango salad

I'm not sure what J has up his sleeve today but I have Momma Peas' cake on a stick.  I added some cinnamon & used 1 C of coffee instead of water.  

cinnamon chocolate cake on a stick

What could possibly be better than cake on a stick?  We'll soon find out.

Will Run For Rosemary Infused Chocolate Pudding

When I think of rosemary chocolate isn't necessarily the next ingredient that I think of.  You say rosemary I say roasted potatoes, cream of leaky potato soup, rosemary mint soap not chocolate.  When I saw the latest issue of Alive Canada's Natural Health and Wellness Magazine at The Wellness Shoppe the cover recipe was dark chocolate and rosemary pudding and suddenly chocolate and rosemary seemed like a brilliant combination (no I wasn't drinking).

I could have just followed the recipe but I was looking for an excuse to make chocolate avocado pudding and this was it.  Who needs table cream, cane sugar and chocolate when you have avocados, maple syrup and rosemary (and who are we kidding a chocolate bar barely makes it through the front door before it is in my belly)?

Rosemary Infused Chocolate Pudding
(4 small servings)

ingredients

1/2 C unsweetened soy milk (almond, coconut or dairy would also work)

1 heaping TBSP fresh rosemary

2 large ripe avocados

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

Begin by roughly chopping rosemary. 

straight from the garden

 Combine rosemary and milk in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for approximately five minutes.  Remove from element and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes (the longer it sits the stronger the rosemary taste will be).  Strain.

infuse the milk with rosemary

Combine all ingredients in a blender (if you don't mind chunky guacamole texture you can skip the blender).  Blend until well combined.  You will likely have to scrape down the sides (a great opportunity to lick the spoon) and continue blending.

don't cut your tongue on the blender blades

Divide into four small bowl or use avocado skins.  Chill for 1-2 hours or eat immediately if you are impatient like me.