The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet (33 page)

Ice pops are so simple that it’s easy to forget them! Buy an ice pop mold and pour in a mixture of coconut, strawberry, and apple juices. That’s my favorite, but any juice that you or your kids like will make a great ice pop. Freeze and enjoy on hot summer days.

Find a nondairy ice cream that you love. Start with scoops of ice cream and top them with whatever makes you happiest. Experiment to your heart’s content. And don’t forget the walnuts, or even try topping with ground-up graham crackers! If you want to start with a banana and make it a split, go for it!

Believe it or not, you can find vegan chocolate sauce (by Wax Orchard) and even faux marshmallow fluff (Ricemellow Creme Fluff). There’s even soy whipped cream in a can (by Soyatoo)! If you can’t get your hands on the chocolate sauce, just melt some dairy-free chocolate chips in a double boiler—or in a stainless steel bowl over boiling water—then drizzle over your ice cream.

Flour:
Don’t be discouraged from a recipe because you can’t find the specific type of flour called for. Experiment and use whatever you have around the house. Spelt flour, whole wheat flour, unbleached all-purpose flour, barley flour, and brown rice flour can generally be substituted for one another.

Keep in mind, however, that if a recipe calls for pastry flour, you can only substitute it for another type of pastry flour. Bread flours are too dense and heavy for pastry recipes.

Chocolate-Apricot Coins

I took cooking classes with Laura Taylor and Karen Bryson-Pearson here in L.A. Both groovy, healthy ladies, they taught me these easy little sweets.

MAKES ABOUT 20

2 cups grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips

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cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons safflower oil

20 dried Turkish apricots, pounded into
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" flat rounds

Place the chocolate chips, syrup, and oil in the top of a double boiler and place over a pot of simmering water. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a stainless steel bowl over boiling water and melt the ingredients in it. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit until the chocolate melts, 5 to 10 minutes.

While the chocolate melts, use a rolling pin or wine bottle to pound the apricots to an even
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" thickness. Dip the apricots in the melted chocolate and place on a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Chill in the refrigerator until hardened.

Variation:

Quick Chocolate Ganache Strawberries

To make a fondue-like ganache, melt one cup of grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips with
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cup soy milk (soy or soy/rice milk blend) over low heat. Whisk well to create a smooth texture. Dip the strawberries in the sauce. To make a candy-like coating for the strawberries, melt 1 cup of grain-sweetened chips with about
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cup nondairy milk. Set the dipped berries on parchment paper and chill.

Coffee Fudge Brownies

This dessert is ridiculously rich and insanely delicious. This brownie is your new boyfriend! It was inspired by my 14-year-old friend Gina Filippone, from Victoria, British Columbia. She baked a version of them one day while I was visiting, and they were so delicious I couldn’t stop eating them. I’ve changed the original ingredients to make them healthier, and—can you believe it?—the healthy ingredients make them even better!

MAKES 12 BROWNIES

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cup whole wheat pastry flour

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cup brown rice flour

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cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1
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teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1
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cups maple sugar

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cup soy/rice milk blend (or any nondairy milk)

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cup brewed decaf coffee

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cup canola oil

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cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (see Note)

Glaze

1
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cups grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips

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cup Earth Balance butter

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Oil an 8" or 9" square baking pan.

Sift together the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar. In a separate bowl, stir together the milk, coffee, and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir to mix well. Stir in the walnuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the brownies have cooled, prepare the glaze. Melt the chocolate chips and butter together in a double boiler until well combined and completely smooth. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a stainless steel bowl over boiling water and melt the ingredients in it. Pour the warm glaze over the entire pan of brownies, smoothing it out over the surface. Chill in the fridge until the glaze has set, about 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve.

Note:
To toast walnuts, spread nuts on a baking sheet, and place in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until nuts are lightly browned and fragrant. Stir nuts once or twice as they toast. Transfer the toasted nuts to a bowl to cool.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Back in the day, I was obsessed with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Now I make this healthier version and they are way better. In fact, I think they are the most ridiculously delicious things in the entire world. Look for graham crackers that are naturally sweetened or low in sugar (Health Valley makes a good one), and store the leftover crackers or crumbs in an airtight container for future use.

MAKES 12

10 graham cracker squares (5 whole crackers)

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cup Earth Balance butter

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cup crunchy peanut butter (preferably unsweetened and unsalted)

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cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener

1 cup grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips

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cup soy, rice, or nut milk

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cup chopped pecans, almonds, or peanuts

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. (If You Care makes unbleached liners made from recycled paper.) Set aside.

Break the graham crackers into large chunks and place in a food processor or blender. Pulse on and off until they are ground to fine crumbs. Measure out
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cup of crumbs (reserve the rest for another use) and set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and maple sugar and mix well. Remove the mixture from the heat. Evenly divide the mixture, approximately 2 tablespoons per cup, among the muffin cups.

Combine the chocolate and milk in another pan. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted. Spoon the chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture. Top with chopped nuts. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours before serving.

Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips

These little yummies will blow your mind. Everyone—and I mean everyone—in your life will love these. You can serve them at parties, for after-school snacks, or as a regular dessert. They are also great for travel; I pack a big batch in my suitcase on most trips. Perfect for when I’m running late, have skipped a meal, or just want a dessert that won’t bring me down, these treats are awesome.

MAKES 9 TO 12 SQUARES

1 box brown rice crisps cereal

1
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cups brown rice syrup

Fine sea salt

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cup peanut butter or almond butter (preferably unsweetened and unsalted)

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cup grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips

Pour the rice cereal into a large bowl. Heat the syrup with a pinch of salt in a saucepan over low heat. When the rice syrup liquefies, add the peanut butter and stir until well combined. Pour over the rice cereal. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Once thoroughly mixed and cooled to room temperature, stir in the chocolate chips. Make sure the mixture is cool, or you will end up with melted chocolate instead of chocolate chips in your treats.

Turn the mixture out into an 8" x 8" or 9" x 13" baking dish. Wet your wooden spoon lightly and press the mixture evenly into the pan. Let cool for 1 hour—if you can—before cutting into squares or bars.

Variation:

Almond Raisin Bars

Substitute
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cup almond butter for the peanut butter and
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cup dark or golden raisins for the chocolate chips (or use both chips and raisins . . . go crazy!).

Note:
Without the chocolate chips, this dessert is totally fine for Superheroes.