Super Moist Chocolate Quinoa cake

Special occasions like my hubby's birthday calls for a special dessert!  This is the first time I made a cake, besides carrot cake.  It was really easy, and it's so surprising how you can't even tell it's made out of quinoa!  :-)  It's gluten free, dairy free, and sugar free!  I think next time I make this cake, I will try to omit the cocoa powder, and make it into a vanilla coconut cake.   Thanks Purvi, again for sharing this recipe with me.  

Check out the recipe here: 

http://www.eatgood4life.com/chocolate-quinoa-cake/

I had to substitute quite a few items for this recipe....

Here is my version of it:

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups loosely packed cooked and cooled quinoa (about 1/2 cup dry)
1/3 cup cashew milk (just blend some cashews and water in the blender until smooth.  I didn't have almond milk)
4 flax eggs (4 tablespoons of whole flax seeds and 12 tablespoons of water blended. let sit and it will be goopy)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cups coconut sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon aluminum free baking soda
1/2 teaspoon himalayan pink sea salt

For the icing, I have put in a blender some soaked cashews with medjool dates, a little water, dash of salt, and a splash of vanilla extract.  

Delicious Nurturing Sesame milk! (and other seed or nut milks)

One of the challenges of becoming vegan is satisfying the craving for milk or other dairy products.  I have found that making these non dairy milks have really satiated the craving and it is also so very easy to make!  You can virtually use any nut or seed.  I prefer using seeds because they are way more nutritious and good the for the glands in general than nuts in general.  Try using sesame, chia seeds, hemp seeds, almonds, cashews, pumpkin, walnuts, brazil nuts to make milks...you can never go wrong!  :)  

Nurturing Sesame milk

handful of dates (if you don't have dates, use any other sweetener like honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar)

some sesame seeds (unhulled is the best.  Unhulled seeds will contain all the calcium that sesame is known for.  If you get the hulled ones, you're basically eating seeds that don't have much nutrition.  Try an indian store which has them or in the bulk section in a natural supermarket).

Water 

cinnamon and/or nutmeg (optional)

In a high powered blender, blend ingredients until smooth.  It's up to you on how creamy or thin you'd like your milk.  Experiment and test yourself!  Also, if the dates are really hard, just add hot water.   If you want a warm beverage use hot water and enjoy your warm beverage on a cold day :)