Slow Cooker Veggie Pasta Sauce

This is our favorite super simple, very tasty pasta sauce recipe.

Ingredients:

• Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
• One 14-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• One 6-ounce can tomato paste
• One bag of frozen veggies
• One or two handfuls of frozen pearl onions
• Whatever spices you like such as oregano, basil, and garlic powder.

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours.

Dr. Furhman’s Chocolate Cake

If you have never tried this cake, you must! This chocolate cake is very different than your typical high sugar, high fat, unhealthy cake.  This cake contains vegetables and is a healthier alternative to the typical “chocolate cake”.  Even though this is a healthier cake, you still need to watch portions as there are a lot of dates and nuts in this dessert.

We found the recipe to this cake here.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 1 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or quinoa flour for gluten free cake)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 1/2 cups pitted dates, divided
• 1 cup pineapple chunks in own juice, drained
• 1 banana
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup shredded beets
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Nut Icing:

• 1 cup raw macadamia nuts or raw cashews, unsalted
• 1 cup vanilla soy milk
• 2/3 cup pitted dates
• 1/3 cup brazil nuts or hazelnuts
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions for the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl.  Set aside.
3. In blender or food processor, puree 3 cups of the dates, pineapple, banana, and applesauce.
4. Slice remaining 1/2 cup dates into 1/2 inch thick pieces.
5. In large bowl, mix sliced dates, beets, carrots, zucchini, cocoa powder, currants, walnuts, water, vanilla and flour mixture.
6. Add the blended mixture and mix well.
7. Spread in a 9.5″ X 13.5″ nonstick baking pan.
8. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Directions for the icing:

1. Using a high powered blender*, combine all icing ingredients until smooth and creamy.
2. Allow the cake to cool before spreading the icing.

* A food processor may be used to combine icing ingredients but the icing will not be as smooth.

This cake is best the next day, cold, straight from the fridge!

Can you believe these ingredients can be turned into a cake!?

Don’t let the ingredients frighten you into trying this cake.  It contains so much natural sweetness from the fruit and dates, you will still be able to satisfy your sweet tooth, and get a serving of vegetables at the same time 🙂