Sweet Treats for Fall

Dessert. Taboo? Maybe. Maybe not.

I absolutely believe there is room in a healthy diet for dessert. But here comes the caveat: it depends on what you pick, how much you eat and what else you’ve been eating. Under the best of circumstances, for example, eating a plant based diet, with lots of real food and no processed 'food-like' substances, you’re probably ready for a splurge here and there. While if you are busy eating a daily diet of processed foods, refined carbohydrates and you aren’t sure when the last time something leafy and green made it to your mouth, then you might want to reconsider what you choose to splurge with. 

Whichever camp you fall in, or any in-between, if you're going to treat yourself, you want to make sure it tastes good and isn't full of crappy ingredients.  With that in mind, I have three new favorites to share with you.

SHORTBREAD WITH A TWIST

Why I like these: the ingredients list is short and full of items you can find on the grocery store shelves. They are gluten free and non-GMO project verified with no artificial ingredients. They contain just the right amount of crunch, vanilla and chai flavor.  The small, bite-size shape is good for keeping the crumbs to a minimum.

BITE-SIZE PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE

Why I like these: Mostly because I love peanut butter and chocolate together, but also, they are made with organic and sustainably sourced ingredients. The ingredients list is leaps and bounds better than a traditional Reese’s peanut butter cup.  No mystery ingredients like polyglycerol polyrecinoleat or TBHQ. You can indulge in one or two small pieces to get a sweet-fix without having to overload on calories or sugar. 

CREAMY, FROZEN, FLAVORFUL TREAT

When I sampled this at my local Whole Foods, I wasn’t expecting to have my taste buds met with such creamy goodness.  These frozen treats are GMO free, gluten free, soy free and are packed with 20 grams of protein... and have live active cultures, aka probiotics.  I’ve tried the Banana-Vanilla and the Chocolate – both are delicious!

Want to see more recommendations? Just let me know in the comments below.  Happy Splurging!

Lavender in the Kitchen

Healthy eating can sometimes have the reputation of being ‘not-so-tasty’, but healthy eating does not have to be boring or bland.  Transitioning from the bevy of processed foods (laden with salt, sugar and fat) to wholesome, from-the-earth foods can sometimes leave us to wonder if there is more to eating than just learning to like the strong taste of kale.  The processed food companies have hijacked our taste buds to think that salt, sugar and fat are the flavors our bodies are looking for, but Mother Nature provides far more satisfying and complex flavors for us. You just need to step out of the box a little and experiment with a little creativity sometimes. 

You can do that by using familiar spices like cinnamon and red pepper flakes. You can even add less familiar flavors like turmeric and maca, but have you introduced your taste buds to lavender? You might be thinking that lavender only belongs in soaps and lotions, or aromatherapy oils, but lavender is becoming a new star in the world of food flavors.

Lavender is typically known as a fragrance for soap or for the relaxing properties that help you reduce stress, improve sleep, tame headaches and as fragrance for other body products.  It has also been widely used in food for decades and is one of the ingredients in the French spice blend called “herbs de Provence”.  Cooking with lavender adds a slight sweetness and fragrance to your food. Primarily used in baked goods, you can also use lavender on its own to flavor drinks, fruits, cheese and dairy products and it can be mixed with salt and lemon as a flavor for grilled chicken.   Culinary lavender has health benefits as well.  "The polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) in lavender can help reduce the 'bad' bacteria in your gut," says Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., author of "Doctor's Detox Diet" and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Ready to try a few lavender recipes?  There are a few things you need to know about lavender before you start to cook with it:

·      Quality is crucial. Do not eat flowers from florists, nurseries, etc. – treated with pesticides.  Get fresh culinary lavender from your yard or farmer’s market where you can talk to the grower. You need to buy CULINARY lavender. The wrong variety will taste bitter.

·      It lends a slightly sweet flavor to your food when used properly.  Do not use too much or you will feel like you are eating perfume or soap.   A little goes a long way when it comes to lavender.

·      Lavender goes well with strawberries, blueberries, pears, lemon, orange, honey, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, black pepper, mascarpone, ricotta, spearmint balsamic vinegar, figs and even pistachios.

And here are some recipes to get you started:

Peaches with Raw Honey and Crushed Lavender - Wash and slice white peaches then drizzle with some raw honey and top with a sprinkle of crushed culinary lavender.

Lavender Lemon Shortbread  – Simple ingredients, great flavor- I could eat the whole batch!  

Lavender Simple Syrup – great for adding to lemonades, ice tea and cocktails.

Expand what it means to eat healthy and flavorful and add lavender to the mix.  And if you have a favorite, share it in the comments below.  Wishing you happy, healthy eating!

(Healthy) Valentine's Sweets That are Easy to Love

Did I just say healthy and sweets in the same sentence? Yes. It is not a typo.  While all sweets need to be eaten infrequently, there are ways to enjoy them without going overboard in the 'bad-for-you' category.  I, for one, love a yummy dessert and Valentine’s Day is one of the occasions where I like to splurge.  But at the same time, I don’t want to stray from eating clean, so I choose carefully.  If you want to indulge this February 14th, without too much guilt, I’ve got a few recipes to share.

Here are 3 recipes that satisfy a sweet tooth while sticking with healthy, unprocessed ingredients… and you won’t have to sacrifice taste. 

Chocolate Chia Pudding – there are dozens of versions of chia seed pudding. This one is really chocolaty.  {print recipe}

Almond Butter Cups – love the hint of cinnamon in these! {print recipe}

Lime Cheesecake Squares – from Clean Eating Magazine, this re-invented recipe saves you more than 200 calories over the original and slashes sugar and fat by eliminating sweetened condensed milk and cream.  {Click here for link}

May your Valentine’s Day be full of smiles, love and (healthy) sweets.

Cinnamon and Apples... Mouth Watering Goodness

©istockphoto.com

Cinnamon has been one of my favorite spices long before I knew of its health benefits.  It helps stabilize blood sugar, can improve LDL cholesterol and contains properties that help fight against bacterial and fungal infections.  There are even studies being done on how cinnamon can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. 

But while all those attributes are well and good, it’s the scent and taste of cinnamon that melt my heart (and my taste buds). I love it in my morning smoothie and it finds my weakness when I’m served homemade cinnamon rolls.  It seems to be synonymous with the holiday desserts, not many which are waistline friendly.  Since the last few posts have been about healthier options for the dinner table, I thought you needed at least one option for a healthier dessert.  So below you will find my version of Baked Apples.  They are great served alone or with freshly whipped organic cream or maybe even a coffee spiked with a bit of brandy :)   They also make a great snack on a cold and rainy afternoon.  My mouth is already watering…

Baked Apples

4 organic apples (Honey Crisp or Granny Smith hold up well)

¼ cup coconut sugar

¼ rolled oats

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp orange zest

4 teaspoons organic coconut oil

1 cup hot water

Heat oven to 375F and place rack one level up from bottom position.

Remove the apple cores, leaving some apple at the bottom.  Use a melon baller to create a well about ½”-3/4” wide.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest.  Divide the mixture evenly into the middle of the apples.

Place the apples in a baking dish that closely fits them.  Top each one with 1 tsp coconut oil.  Pour the hot water into the bottom of the dish and cover loosely with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes and remove foil.  Cook for an additional 20 minutes or until the apples are cooked through (they will be wrinkly and you can easily insert a paring knife into the side).

Remove from oven and serve with fresh whipped cream.

Homemade Jam...that's healthy!

In an earlier post I talked about the benefits of chia seeds.  I hope you’ve been sprinkling them on your yogurt and adding them to your smoothies!  I recently came across a jam recipe that incorporates chia seeds.  You get a lot of ‘bang’  out of this one… fiber and antioxidants in the raspberries, omega 3’s, protein and added fiber from the chia seeds and a hit of added sweetness from the maple syrup.  

This simple recipe is courtesy of Pamela Salzman’s blog.  It is simple, healthy and delicious! Keeps for about a week in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Raspberry Chia Jam

1 package of frozen, organic raspberries

2 TBSP + 2 tsp Chia Seeds

1 TBSP 100% real maple syrup or organic raw honey

Defrost raspberries, then put in a bowl and mash lightly. Add chia seeds and syrup, mix to combine well.  Refrigerate 6 hours (or overnight). Stir ingredients and the jam is ready to serve. 

Try as a topping on Greek yogurt, ice cream or on toasted sprouted grain bread, or even with almond butter for a tasty sandwich.  Enjoy!