Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding

It's nearly March but we still have a few more weeks of cold weather ahead of us. Luckily, that means more time for warm, soul-satisfying puddings!

I definitely recommend giving this recipe a try if you're suffering from the winter blues. It's a great after-dinner dessert - but equally suitable for breakfast. (Not to mention crazy nutritious).

• 1 c. coconut milk
• 1/2 c. pumpkin puree 
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/4 c. chia seeds
• 1/4 c. agave syrup (or maple syrup, or honey)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch nutmeg
• Pumpkin seeds to garnish (optional)

1. In a small saucepan add coconut milk, pumpkin, water, agave syrup, salt, spices, and vanilla and bring to a boil. 
2. Reduce heat to low and add chia seeds. 
3. Whisk gently until pudding thickens (about 3 minutes). 
4. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Garnish with pumpkin seeds. Makes 4 servings.

Have Some More... Sloppy Joes.

After so many posts about dessert and smoothies, I finally have a savory recipe to rave about. Meatless Sloppy Joes. There is obviously no real reason to play around with the classic recipe as it is perfect in all its glorious sloppy splendor. However, as I was reaching for my box of cereal, I found a packet of forgotten McCormick's Sloppy Joe seasoning mix and instantly I wanted to make some. Unfortunately having no ground beef in the refrigerator (and too lazy to hit up the market) I was forced to use alternative ingredients (quinoa and kidney beans!). I took this opportunity to make a meatless version of this quick and fun childhood favorite. For those of us who choose not to eat meat or just want an easy way to add some good grains, protein, fiber and vitamins to our diet, this is a great recipe.













What you'll need:

• 1 packet (1.3 oz) McCormick's Sloppy Joe seasoning mix
• 1 can (6 oz) organic tomato paste
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 cup organic red quinoa
• 1 can organic red kidney beans
• 4 slices harvest wheat french bread (or hamburger buns)
• 2 tbsp butter
• Shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

Step 1

Add 1 1/4 cups red quinoa to 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook quinoa until soft. Drain.
While quinoa is cooking, in a separate skillet, heat 3 tbsp of olive oil on high for 1 minute. Drain and rinse kidney beans and toss in with the oil. Turn down heat to medium. Using a potato masher (a fork works too) mash beans into a chunky paste. Remove from heat.

Step 2

Add the quinoa, tomato paste, seasoning mix and 1 tbsp of warm water to the beans. Mix all ingredients well with a fork. Add more water for desired consistency.

Step 3

Lightly butter your bread and place under the broiler until just browned. Top with Sloppy Joe mixture.

Step 4 (Optional)

Spoon sloppy Joe mix on to a slice of bread, top with Mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with grilled bread and enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJf8Je5H7-k

With a recipe this healthy and delicious, there's no reason not to "Have some more sloppy Joes!"

It's Never Too Early for Dessert.

Morning! It's been a while since I posted anything. I thought I'd start small and tell you about the accidental chocolate pudding smoothie I made to follow my run. I say "accident" because I didn't intend for it to look, smell, and taste like pudding. It just happened that way.

This smoothie is much more nutritious (and decadent!) than traditional Jell-O pudding. The flax meal contributes dietary fiber, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, and is a very good source of thiamin and manganese. It also contains protein and healthy fats (omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids). The strawberries are a good source of folate and potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C and manganese. The banana adds even more dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium and manganese, and is a great source of vitamin B6 (read more about vitamin B6 here). You can read more about all the ingredients here.

Keep in mind that while this shake is packed with vitamins, protein, and nutrients, it also contains a high amount of healthy fats (from the coconut milk) and natural sugars (fruit and maple syrup) and should be consumed in moderation in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise regime. But don't worry, 1 cup will keep you full for hours. This will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days so portion it out. Don't forget a spoon!

What you'll need:

• Blender or food processor
• 10 ripe strawberries (scoop out the hard, white pithy center)
• 2 ripe bananas
• three tbsp pure cocoa powder
• 1 cup coconut milk (can substitute with 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with a little water to thin it out)
• 2 tbsp flax meal
• Maple syrup to taste
• Sliced almonds (to garnish)

1. Start by washing and depithing the berries. Blend until smooth. 
2. Add the banana and coconut milk/yogurt and blend until smooth. 
3. Add the cocoa powder, flax meal and maple syrup and continue blending for 1 minute. 
4. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a large measuring cup or pitcher (it's thick! I used a whisk to help push the smoothie through). 
5. Add more maple syrup to taste. 
6. Pour into a glass and garnish with almonds. 

You can eat this with a spoon (like pudding!) or add a little water to make a drink of it. 

Enjoy!

Cast Iron Chocolate Cake: A Tale of Two Beans

Thanksgiving is coming!  'Tis the season to roast large birds and bake sweet treats with which to follow your tummy-distending feast.

This year, rather than stick with the traditional (and boring) pumpkin pie, I opted for something a little more interesting, a tad risqué, and exponentially more flavorful!

Who doesn't love a sweet, moist mouthful of chocolate cake?  What's that you say? Chocolate cake isn't an appropriate Thanksgiving dessert? To that I say, "Pshaw"! 


Don't get me wrong. Pumpkin pie is a great traditional dessert - and it makes perfect sense.  Pumpkins are an abundant fall crop.  But you know what else is abundant in the fall?  Beans!  Specifically, black beans. Okay, beans are abundant all year long due to the fact they keep really well.

But what does chocolate cake have to do with beans? Everything.

Black beans are used in lieu of flour in this recipe, and let's not forget about another important bean - cocoa!  (I'm using the term 'bean' loosely here...)  But why oh why would you put black beans in a cake? It seems ungodly!  Ah, don't be so quick to judge...

I immediately fell in love with the idea of replacing plain old wheat flour with nutritional black beans for several reasons (gluten-intolerant guests *cough*) and was excited to try a recipe for myself.  I'm so glad I did.

I was inspired to use these two very nutritional beans in this year's Thanksgiving dinner chaser because, living in Blythe, California, it was only appropriate to host a Mexican-themed fête. And which two beans are more perfect than the black- and cocoa bean? Traditional staples of South and Central America; relied upon for thousands upon thousands of years; nutritious, wholesome, and oh-so-beloved!!! It only seems right to introduce one to the other! And to kick it old school, we're marrying them in a cast iron pan.

Not exactly your traditional Thanksgiving-themed dessert. Are you willing to try something different this year? You'll be happy you did. And just wait until you taste it! Moist, decadent, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cake!

So, how does one make this kooky, crazy cake?  After perusing a few of my favorite baking blogs, I combined two my favorite recipes I found at Healthy Indulgences and A Tasty Love Story. 

Also, I'm a big fan of cream cheese frosting and I personally believe it accompanies a chocolate cake very well.  However, you can whip up any kind of frosting your heart desires!

So, without further adieu, here's the recipe:

For the cake:

• 1 1/2 cups cooked, unsalted organic black beans (I prepared my own)
• 5 tbsp organic, fair trade (if possible) cocoa powder
• 1 cup organic brown sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 large organic eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I like Trader Joe's bourbon vanilla)
• 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 shot strong coffee
• 1 shot organic orange juice

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup organic butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup cream cheese (room temperature)
• 2 cups organic powdered sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice

1. Preheat your oven to 325 F 
2. Place beans into a large mixing bowl (or blender, or food processor) with the maple syrup and blend (I used a hand-held blender).
3. In a separate, deep sided bowl, whisk your eggs until yolks are just blended.
4. Add egg, vanilla, & 1/2 cup butter to beans.
5. Blend until smooth. No lumps, please!
6. Now add your sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix mix mix. 
7. Time to add the cocoa powder.  This can be a tad messy so add one tablespoon at a time while you mix.
8. Blend in coffee and orange juice and set batter aside.
9.  Grease the cast iron pan (I like to use coconut oil). Dust with cocoa powder or regular flour to prevent cake from sticking.  If you don't have a cast iron pan any old cake pan should suffice. 
10. Pour-in your batter and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the center springs back when touched.
11. Allow your cake to cool for ten minutes before transferring to a large plate. (Place plate over the pan and flip gently. Cake should slide out. If you're having troubles, let the cake cool completely before trying again.

To prevent my cake from sticking I melted butter in the cast iron before adding batter. However, this didn't work perfectly. I would suggest parchment paper or the trusted oil and flour dusting method next time.

Nothing a little icing can't fix!

While your cake is cooling (about 2 hours), prepare your icing.

1. Using a fork or whisk, blend butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl
2. Add powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time to avoid a mess
3. Mix in lemon juice 
4. Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes
5. Ice your cake!

This cake tastes best when left to sit overnight.

Enjoy... and give thanks to beans!

Oh, I also like to drizzle melted chocolate on things...

Apple Cider Pie (when you just NEED dessert).

I've been refined-sugar-free for six days now and feeling really, really good.  But now that we're into October, I have been craving one thing in particular.  Apple pie.  The epitome of autumn!  The problem with pie is that there is typically a lot of sugar involved in the making of it.  However, I think I circumvented the issue quite nicely.

Introducing...

Apple Cider Pie.

The key to this pie is the type of apple you use.  This time of year McIntosh apples abound.  They also happen to be the best baking apple (in my humble opinion).  They're sweet and tart, and their buttery texture makes them perfect for sugar-free baking.  The apple cider is a great way to add a little more natural sweetness and sauciness to this fall-favorite.


The McIntosh Apple.

Are you one of those people who avoids making pies because you're terrified of screwing up the crust?  It's true that a bad crust ruins the pie, but fear not.  I've found a fool-proof recipe for flaky pastry that uses butter in lieu of lard and guarantees to surround the contents of your pie with nothing but love.

You're going to want to allot about an hour for the pastry part.  While it may be easy, it is a little time consuming.  Don't forget your rolling pin!  Don't have one?  Neither did I.  I used a wine bottle!  Also, parchment paper makes rolling a little easier and less sticky.

The Crust.  (I used this recipe but changed a few things).

• 2 1/2 cups organic, whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 cups salted butter
• 2/3 cup ice water

Leave your butter out until it reaches room temperature. Using two butter knives, cut the butter into the flour until you achieve crumbly lumps of dough.  Now, using your freshly washed hands, begin to knead the dough and add a little bit of water at a time.  Eventually you'll want to be able to roll the dough into balls that don't crumble when you flatten them out, but you also don't want it to be too wet and sticky either. 

Separate your dough into roughly two equal parts (one ball for the base and one for the top!).  Spread a large piece of parchment paper onto the counter.  Place your dough onto the paper and using your wine bottle or rolling pin, begin to flatten the dough into a large circle so that it will fall slightly over the edges of your pie plate.  You don't want it too thick - about 1/4 inch should do.  Carefully place your dough slab into a 9 inch pie plate.  Repeat with the second ball and set aside while you prepare the sweet gooey guts of your pie.

The Guts.

• 5-6 McIntosh Apples, peeled and sliced
• 3 tbsp unsweetened, organic apple cider
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Now is the time you want to preheat your oven to 400 F.

When it comes to slicing your apples, you can go thick or thin.  The magical thing about McIntosh apples is that they cook quickly due to their soft texture. 

So, slice your apples any way you like and place them in a mixing bowl.  Sprinkle your spices, add your cider and coconut oil and mix thoroughly with your hands (I'm a big fan of using my hands!). 

Scoop your apple mixture into your prepared pie crust until it's a little higher than the depth of the pie plate and top it off with the other slab of dough.  If your dough is hanging over the edge of your pie plate, you can even out the edges using a sharp knife.  Flute the edges using a fork and make a few slits in the top to let the vapor escape while baking.

Bake your pie for about 35 minutes then check to make sure your crust doesn't get too brown.  You'll want to remove your pie when the crust is a warm golden color (about 35-40 minutes).

Allow your pie to cool for a good hour or so before digging in!


Can't you see the love?

Breakfast for Champions!

Hey all!  I'm Day 3 into my refined-sugar-free week and feeling good.  How about you?  I can't say it's been all that difficult.  Sure, I miss digging out fudge chunks from my Ben & Jerry's ice cream container after dinner, but for the most part I've found a way to cope by eating soul satisfying whole foods and baking.

Honestly, the hardest meal of the day for me is breakfast.  Upon waking my stomach gurgles and I crave my sweet cinnamon crunch cereal.  Over the last few days I've come to realize how refined sugar has sneakily woven it's way into my day to day life.  It hides in my favorite cereals, sauces, yogurts, jams and jellies, breads, and myriad other seemingly healthy foods.  It's been tough finding refined-sugar-free foods in my refrigerator and cupboard so I decided to make my own.

Since I'm cutting out refined sugar for the week I've tweaked a classic bread recipe that I'll look forward to scarfing down upon waking.  Paired with a hot cup of coffee this breakfast is sure to satisfy your morning hunger monster and it's sweet tooth.

Who doesn't love baking with spotty bananas? As someone avoiding refined sugar, bananas are a great source of the sweetness we all crave in life.  Now pair those mushy wonders with some cinnamon, butter and flaxmeal and you've got yourself a starchy, satisfying breakfast that will deliver energy all morning long.

In lieu of brown sugar I've added Stevia powder.  If you're hardcore you can omit this sugar alternative.  Honestly, I'm not sure how healthy Stevia is. There is a lot of back and forth about this natural sweetener.  It's still a refined food and should not be relied upon heavily by refined-sugar-free people.

Morning Monkey Bread

What you'll need:

• 3 ripe bananas (preferably organic, but use what you've got)
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup organic gluten-free flour or unbleached whole wheat if you're not into GF 
• 2/3 cup flaxmeal
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• Stevia to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 F.  In a large bowl, mash your bananas with a fork (I like to leave mine a little lumpy for added texture). Add in sour cream/yogurt, butter, and Stevia if you choose to use it.  In a small bowl whisk your eggs until fluffy.  Add to the banana mixture once the butter has cooled so the (eggs don't cook).

In a separate bowl combine the flour, flaxmeal, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just blended.  Fold in walnuts.  If your batter is too thick you can add a little water or hemp/almond/coconut milk.  The batter should be thick but not not impossible to stir.  Pour the batter into a greased bread pan or cupcake pan for muffins.

Bake bread loaf for 50 minutes to an hour.  Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf until it comes out clean.  If you're making muffins, bake for 20-25 minutes. Times may vary according to your oven so keep testing with a toothpick.

Now you have a weekly stash of grab-and-go breakfast that will keep you going until lunch!  I like to toast my bread slices and add a little butter.  Mmm-mmm!

Happy baking!

I hope everyone is enjoying themselves during this week without refined sugar.  Next Up: some tips for lunch and dinner.  Plus, what to eat when you just need dessert.

Refined Sugar - Get Out of My LIFE!

Hey, I'm back!  Been a while.  I was busy being a heretic. 

Did anyone else read that National Geographic article about sugar?  Pretty sobering stuff.  We sure do eat a lot of sugar.  Too much.  It's in absolutely everything.  I've done a little research on the subject of sugar - high fructose corn syrup, honey, agave, artificial sweeteners, non-sugar options, how they all affect the body, etc.  There is a lot of information out there on the subject but how much of it is true?

The Basics  There is no one kind of sugar.  When we think of "sugar" most of us imagine the pure white sweet powder we add to our coffee in the morning.  Allow me to introduce "sucrose", a disaccharide.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  It gets pretty messy, and I don't want to bore you with the details, but...

Carbohydrates!  "Carbs" are organic compounds comprised of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, typically with a hydrogen:oxygen atom ratio of 2 to 1. They are often referred to as "saccharides" and are divided into four groups: monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides.  Yay!

Generally speaking, the mono- and disaccharides are what we know as "sugar" and end in the suffix "-ose".  You know, glucose, sucrose, lactose, fructose, galactose.  Fun fact - lactose is actually derived from galactose and glucose AND monosaccharide units join together using glycosidic bonds to make polysaccharides.   Blah dee blah dee blah.  Still with me?  No?  It's okay.  I'm not a fan of chemistry.  But it is important to understand what sugar is made of.

Interestingly there isn't much difference between high fructose corn syrup and honey.  Chemically speaking, they have similar ratios of glucose to fructose.  And both foods perform similarly inside you.  While honey is a much more natural source of sugar, too much fructose could induce toxic effects on the liver, lead to coronary heart disease, and make us fat (more on that in a bit).  I also found a lot of sources spewing that lowering your intake of refined sugars can lower your risk of certain types of cancer but after reading these articles (JHU Gazette and Mount Sinai Hospital), it seems to be very overblown and I can't find much truth to the rumors.

So, in light of all the seemingly accurate information out there, I've decided to go cold turkey and stop eating refined sugar.  Just for a week.  See how I do.  I'm talking white and brown sugars, honey, molasses (does anyone still eat molasses?), maple syrup, and agave nectar. 

Why?  I'm a generally healthy lady.  But eating refined anything and too much of it to boot isn't smart. Obviously it is impossible to eliminate all sugar from your diet - and silly.  We actually need sugar to live long, healthy lives. Starches and carbohydrates such as wheat, oats, beans, etc. are broken down in your body and end up as simple sugars (remember those monosaccharides?).  But it takes a lot longer. Our bodies need glucose to perform some very important functions, but eating evaporated cane juice straight from the bag isn't a good idea. The simple stuff is roughly half glucose and half fructose.  Our bodies don't use fructose and it is processed directly by our livers and turned into fat.  Big deal.  BUT too much fructose means too much fat in the liver which means liver disease (here's a clarifying article) among other ailments that could arise over time.

So, yes, cutting back on the simple stuff.   Here's what I'm eating instead -

Day One  Breakfast.  A tough one.  I want my organic cinnamon crunch cereal, but it has 8 grams of sugar per 3/4 cup serving.  Skip!  Instead I opt for the complex carbs and straight-up fat - two slices of organic sprouted wheat toast with butter!  I pour my coffee for the road and typically I'd stir in copious amounts of cream and sugar.  But not this morning. I add unsweetened hemp milk and pure vanilla extract.  Sure it's lumpy, but it tastes okay.

Five hours later, after wandering around the desert in search of bird-life, I'm home.  And starving.  I make bean and cheese burritos smothered in salsa and a small dollop of sour cream.  As usual I want something sweet to top off my meal.  I know there's Ben & Jerry's in the freezer.  It calls to me!!  Buuuuut I ignore it.  I opt for an orange instead. A little fruit each day is good, so long as you don't live off of it.  Remember, moderation in all things is the key to a healthy lifestyle.

I should also mention that I live a pretty active lifestyle. I hike, I run, I cycle.  My body is using up a lot of energy and burning a lot of calories.  I don't want this no refined sugar thing to be about weight loss, but about striking a healthy balance. 

How About You? If you want to make a change then why not give this a try?  Let's see how we feel at the end of the week, yeah?  Feel free to comment and let me know how you're doing, what you're feeling, tips, advice, whatever!  I'll do my part and let you know what I'm eating (including recipes), how it's tasting, whether or not I'm going crazy, and if this is actually a lifestyle change worth making.

Coming up next:  baking sans refined sugar and wheat.