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.  

Banana-Pecan Muffins

Do you have some spotty bananas laying around?  So did I.  I decided to put them to good use by trying a new gluten-free recipe. The original recipe I found here (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/banana-muffins-recipe/index.html), then I tweaked it.  I only had two bananas so I altered the ingredient proportions.  They turned out amazing - much better than expected.  They're moist and full of flavor, and again, your gluten-loving friends won't know the difference.

Prep: 10 minutes
Bake time: 18 minutes
Yields: 9 muffins



Dry:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used Trader Joe's)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cups chopped pecans

Wet:

• 1 cup mashed bananas (~2 very ripe bananas)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Whisk your egg, vanilla, milk and bananas in a small bowl leaving out the oil.  Mix your dry ingredients separately, then blend wet and dry together. Now add the oil.  Do not over-mix.  Grease or line a muffin tin with paper cups and scoop-in the batter.  Bake for 18 minutes or until golden.

 

 These muffins are best enjoyed once they've cooled.  To keep them moist, transfer to a sealed container.  Do not refrigerate.

Supreme Chocolate Cupcakes

I won't even bother to mention that they're gluten-free, and... VEGAN!  Oops.

If you like chocolate, fasten your seat belt.  This is gonna be one ridiculously scrumptious, decadent, cocoa-magnificent ride.  Even if you can eat wheat and believe that the only way to achieve perfectly fluffy baked-goods is to use eggs, I implore you - try this recipe.  You will be amazed.

Now, this recipe isn't for the faint of heart.  It's for the adventurous, the daring, the creative.  No butter and no eggs means that we use something here that isn't exactly orthodox.  They're green, they grow on trees, and there's no shortage of them here in southern California.

Avocados.

Yep!  Sounds weird, right?  But when you think about it, there is no more-perfect food for such a recipe.  Avocados share a similar consistency with butter, and not to mention, are wonderfully good for you.  But I won't try to amp up the "health benefits" of these cupcakes.  They may be gluten-free and vegan, but that doesn't mean you should gobble them up and feel no guilt.  They're still loaded with sugar!

Okay, this recipe is going to take some time so give yourself an hour.  Oh, and don't make these on an empty stomach.  You'll just want to scoop the batter out of the bowl and into your mouth before you get them into the oven.

Ready?  Let's go!

What you'll need:

Dry

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour (I use Trader Joe's)
• 1 tsp xanthan gum (muy importante!)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar 
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda (not powder)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

 Wet

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 large ripe avocado (mash, then whisk)
• 1 tbsp real vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 2/3 cup of freshly brewed coffee (the stronger the better)
• 6 oz vegan chocolate (many brands of 70% cocoa bars do not contain dairy) (melted)

Frosting

• 3 large, ripe avocados (you heard me!)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 oz vegan chocolate (melted)
• 2 tbsp almond milk
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.  
2. Mix all of your dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Set aside.  
3. Mix all your wet ingredients.  It helps to melt the chocolate with the hot coffee.
4. Gradually pour the wet mixture into the dry and combine until smooth. Try using an electric mixer if you have one.  Batter should be thick - not runny.
5. Scoop batter into paper-lined cupcake tray.  Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Set cupcakes aside and allow to cool, about an hour.  

In the meantime, whip up your frosting:

1. Mash the avocados and add sugar and vanilla.  Whisk out all the lumps.  An electric mixer works well for this too.
2. Melt chocolate in microwave.  Add almond milk and whisk until smooth.  
3. Add to the avocado mixture.  Whisk until smooth.  
4. Ice your fabulous little cupcakes once they've cooled.  

 Baking these for someone's birthday?  Try adding some colorful sprinkles.  Bringing them to a potluck?  Dot with white chocolate chips!  No matter where you bring these and no matter how you choose to decorate them, I promise, you will be the most popular person in the room.

Bake on!


 

Vanishing Gluten-Free Blueberry-Cheese Muffins

Well, I've done it.  I've mastered the art of baking gluten-free muffins.  And by "master" I mean, I've made muffins without wheat flour and you wouldn't know the difference.  Plus they're DE-licious. Don't believe me?  See for yourself.

What you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose GF flour (I used Trader Joe's and Bob's Red Mill mixed together)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup FRESH/frozen blueberries
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 4 oz butter (or coconut oil)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp Xanthan Gum (VERY important!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2.  Mix all dry ingredients (including blueberries and xanthan gum)
3. Mix all wet ingredients (I considered cheese a wet ingredient)
4. Blend wet and dry together until smooth but do not over-mix - the batter should be thick and "goopy"  
5. Line a muffin pan and scoop batter into paper cups
6. Bake for 15 minutes then check your muffins.  If they're not quite set, bake a little longer.  You want the tops juuuuust getting a tad golden. 

Ta-da!  Awesome, delicious, perfect, amazing, extraordinary muffins!  Great for breakfast or snack or whatever.

This batch made 9 muffins.  I just ate three...


 

Refrigerator Soup

It's Friday night and I feel like crap.  My throat is sore and my muscles ache.  I blame  the 9 year-olds I teach during the week.

Cyrus wants chicken wings and french fries - and any other day of the week I'd be down - but all I can dream of on this particular night is soup.  Warm, delicious, and oh-so-soothing soup.  But where am I going to get soup around here?  Alright, I'm sure I could buy some watery chicken noodle soup from the nearest restaurant, or I could drive to the grocery store and buy a can of it - but why do that when I can make soup of much higher caliber and not leave the house or spend any money?  I decide to raid the fridge instead.

The best thing about "soup" is that you can make it from practically anything. 

"soup" |so͞op|  :  ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French soupe ‘sop, broth (poured on slices of bread),’ from late Latin suppa, of Germanic origin.

When I typed "Suppa" into Google's Latin translation search engine it came up with "Head-downwards".  I'm not sure I understand.  No wait, I'm picturing horse-facing a big bowl of steaming broth - and I'm pretty sure that's why the Germanics called it "suppa".  Who doesn't want to horse-face a good bowl of soup?

Back at the fridge I find half a head of cabbage, a few carrots and half a bag of wilting kale.  Alright, I can work with this.  And so can you.

You'll also need a liter of plain almond milk, a few cloves of garlic, salt and pepper, and cumin.

Start by slicing your carrots in half and place them in a pot.  Chop cabbage coarsely and add it along with some water.  Bring that to a boil and remove when a knife slides through the veggies with ease.  In the meantime, crush your garlic and fry it up in some grapeseed or olive oil until clear.  Set aside.  In another pot toss-in the kale and a little water.  Steam until bright green. 

Now, throw the carrots, cabbage and kale (in portions) into a blender and top off with almond milk.  Blend until smooth.  Repeat until you have blended all your veggies.  Pour into a large pot, add garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin and bring to a boil.  Add remaining almond milk until you reach your desired consistency.

Slurp and enjoy.  I feel better already.

 

 * Note, you can use a combination of any veggies for this recipe, whatever you have rotting away in the fridge - potatoes, celery, beets, you name it.  Just make sure they're not too rotten.

Quick List

• a few cloves of garlic
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Carrots
• 1-2 L plain organic almond milk
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cumin

Classic Vanilla Cupcakes

Sometimes you need to throw all your ideals out the window for the sake of someone's happiness - which is why I'm making classic Vanilla Cupcakes this morning. 

After a disastrous attempt at gluten free mint chocolate cupcakes last night I decided to just go the simple route and whip up an old favorite for a co-worker's birthday.  Just because I gave-up wheat doesn't mean everyone else has to.


 

Classic Vanilla Cupcakes

Dry:

•  1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar 

Wet:

• 2/3 cup coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup butter (at room temperature)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a muffin tray with fun paper cups.  Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then mix together.  Fill liners to 3/4 full and bake for 15 minutes or until just slightly golden.  Cool cupcakes then ice with buttercream frosting.  Leave one as a surprise on someone's desk!