I have officially exhausted my sweet tooth (whoops) before Christmas day. I am so sick of cookies. Lol, so, for week 51 we are going savory and healthy goodness! This week I bring you Savory Energy Balls! If you have been following my snack regime this year you’ll know we have tried a few different kinds of sweet bliss balls, but as I stated earlier, I am so done with sweets. I hope you enjoy these tasty combos like I have been!
For the Pizza Balls:
1/2 cup Almonds
1/2 cup White Beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp Rice Flour
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
Pinch of Salt
For the Curry Balls:
1/2 cup Cashews
1/2 cup White Beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp Rice Flour
1/2 tsp Curry Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Pinch of Salt
For the Garlic & Herb Balls:
1/2 cup Mixed Nuts
1/2 cup White Beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp. Rice Flour
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Pinch of Salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Assemble all Bliss Balls as follows:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and pulse until well-incorporated.
Wet your fingers slightly (this prevents the dough from sticking) and use a 1/2 tbsp measure to scoop out the ball “dough” and roll it into spheres. Each recipe will create between 10 and 12 balls.
Store your Bliss Balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to two months.
White Beans may be substituted with Black Beans or Pinto Beans. I would not recommend using Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans in this recipe, as they are not as moist.
Rice flour may be substituted with any flour of choice.
Hope you enjoyed your weekend! Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos give us plenty to celebrate. Since we touched on Halloween last week, I wanted to share a healthy snack we made for Dia de Los Muertos.
I turned to Chris, while sipping our morning coffee, and asked him what he wanted to add to the celebration alter for Sunday. A soft smile came across his face as he told me about his dear friend, Mathew Kennen, and how much he liked the Buffalo Cauliflower at Zokas, one of the best restaurants ever in Pine, CO. So week 44, in remembrance of our dear friend Mat, is Buffalo Cauliflower ❤ NFA
Buffalo Cauliflower
1 to 1.5 head cauliflower, cut into florets (you’ll need about 4 to 5 cups)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
1/2 cup almond flour
3 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoning Salt
Instructions
Place cauliflower florets in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Melt butter; stir in olive oil and hot sauce until thoroughly combined.
Pour the hot sauce mixture over the cauliflower; mix around until all cauliflower florets are coated.
In a separate bowl whisk together almond flour, dried parsley, garlic powder, and seasoning salt.
Sprinkle about a handful at a time of almond flour mixture over the cauliflower; gently mix until everything is coated.
Transfer half of the prepared cauliflower to the air fryer.
Air fry at 350˚F for 14 minutes, shaking a couple times during the cooking process. Cauliflower is done when the florets are a bit browned, but not mushy.
Remove cauliflower from the Air Fryer; set aside and keep covered.
Repeat the same process with the remaining cauliflower florets.
Serve with celery or carrot sticks and your favorite ranch dressing.
Dia de Los Muertos is an ancient tradition celebrated in Mexico and other places around the world. During this holiday, people take time to remember and celebrate family and friends who have passed away. Although it’s called “day of the dead”, the celebration lasts for several days! Dia de Los Muertos is for celebrating the beauty of life and death rather than mourn it, it reminds us to enjoy life all year round and to honor our loved ones, this way they stay in our hearts forever.
Popcorn for my Grandma, buffalo cauliflower plus dip for Mat, breakfast essentials for my ride or die Sean, string cheese (and the peacock cloth) for my dear friend Jamie, a Cigar for Chris’s Papi, and dog treats for our furry family. We love you 🖤
We also made Atole to continue our celebration this morning. Atole (ah-toe-lay) is a drink made with masa, finely ground corn flour. When chocolate is added, it becomes champurrado (cham-poor-ah-doe). The word “atole” is derived from Nahuatl, the still-living language of the Aztecs, who were defeated by Hernan Cortez in 1521 in what is now Mexico City. Atole was popular long before Cortez surprised Montezuma with a visit, so the people of Mexico have been drinking atole for many centuries, probably millennia. That’s really no surprise as atole is, in fact, probably the easiest way imaginable to consume corn, a crop first cultivated in the Americas. Just add water to ground corn, and voila: atole.
Atole is like very thin porridge. Served warm, it’s an excellent way to take the chill off a cold morning. Relatively quick and easy to prepare, atole is frequently consumed at breakfast or after dinner, but can be enjoyed any time of day.
ATOLE
3 cups water
9 Tbsp. Turbinado sugar or brown sugar cane
1 whole cinnamon sticks
10 Tbsp. corn flour
A pinch of salt
3 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
Add water, brown sugar cane and cinnamon sticks to large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Bring water to boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl using whisk, whisk together masarica, salt and milk until completely smooth. Pour masarica mixture into pot with sugar mixture and bring liquid to boil, whisking occasionally; reduce heat to low. Stir in vanilla extract and continue cooking, whisking occasionally, until mixture is smooth and thick, about 10 minutes more. The atole is ready when the drink coats the back of wooden spoon.
Remove pot from heat. Divide atole evenly among serving mugs. Sprinkle with nutmeg if that sounds nice.. Serve warm.
Elevating Balance 