Desserts « feedyourroots

Desserts

Pumpkin Cocoa Muffins

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

Have you entered to win my first-ever FREE giveaway? Contest is open until Dec. 31st so get your entries in!**

I’d like to introduce you (if you don’t know them already) to 2 new ingredients that I have become rather fond of recently. I’ve known about them for a long time, but only now started cooking and baking with them. It’s all part of my conscious effort to step outside of my comfort-zone, and not just in the kitchen, as I’ve mentioned here and here.

First up is teff. While very popular in Ethiopia and India, it is not as commonly used here, although I assure you easy enough to find if you are looking. It is the smallest grain in the world and mostly consists of bran and germ. Remember, what makes a whole grain “whole” is that its bran and germ has not been lost in the refining process. This is where the nutrients are found in whole grains. Teff is very high in calcium and is also a great source of phosphorus, iron, copper, aluminum, barium and thiamin. It is high in protein, carbohydrates and fiber. Teff is gluten free, which is an added bonus if you are sensitive or intolerant to gluten, and has a sweet nutty flavor. Store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

Moving onto grapeseed oil. I think the thing I love most is its very high smoke point (420 degrees), which makes it ideal for baking and cooking at high temperatures. Compare this to the smoke point of unrefined extra virgin olive oil, which is only 320 degrees.

Side note: It is important to know the smoke point of the oils you are cooking with because at that specific temperature the oil begins to break down and form free radicals. Free radicals can lead to disease.

An excellent source of vitamin E, it is not surprising that grapeseed oil is a popular ingredient in cosmetics from hair conditioners to lotions and anti-aging products. Make sure your grapeseed oil is “expeller pressed”, which means that a chemical-free mechanical method of oil extraction was used.

These two high quality products contribute to some very tasty muffins. High quality ingredients create high quality food. Enjoy!

Ingredients: (makes 12 muffins)

1 cup teff flour

1 cup Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix

¼ cup grapeseed oil

¾ cup Maple Syrup (I used organ Grade A Dark Amber. It’s a little sweeter than the light syrups so you don’t need as much)

15 oz pumpkin

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (I like the Chatfield’s brand)

Dried cranberries (optional)

Dark Chocolate – 70% or higher (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease muffin tins or line with paper muffin cups.

Combine all ingredients except dried cranberries and dark chocolate in mixing bowl.

Use electric hand mixer to blend ingredients thoroughly.

I made 3 muffins with dried cranberries added and 3 muffins with chopped dark chocolate added. 3 squares of chocolate for each muffin is a good estimate or ½ cup of dried cranberries for each 3 muffins.

Fold in your toppings and fill each muffin container all the way.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until muffins are golden brown on edges.

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Fall, Nutrients, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Snacking, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 3 Comments »

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bread

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

Pumpkins are everywhere this time of year. Not only do they make a great fall decoration, but they are actually pretty good for you too. Pumpkin is a great source of fiber, alpha and beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium, vitamins C and E and pantothenic acid. The carotenoids that give the pumpkin its orange color are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and serve as a good immunity booster.

So in the spirit of fall and eating seasonally, enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups Arrowhead Mills All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Mix

15 oz canned pumpkin

½ cup coconut oil, liquid form

½ cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 tablespoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Dash of salt

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Small dark chocolate bar, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inch loaf pan

Combine ingredients, except for chocolate chunks, in mixing bowl. Add the coconut oil last and blend immediately before the oil has a chance to harden back up.

Use electric mixer to blend ingredients thoroughly until smooth

Fold in chocolate chunks with spoon

Pour batter into loaf pan

Bake for one hour

Allow to cool before slicing

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Eating Local, Fall, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Wheat Free | 1 Comment »

Trick or Treat!

Sunday, October 24th, 2010

With Halloween just around the corner, followed by Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas and finally New Years, I think it is fair to say that the “eating season” is about to begin. Sugar is addicting, takes control of our cravings, and has a negative impact on our energy level (just to name a few “side effects”). The way I see it, Halloween and all of the sugar that has somehow become socially essential to this holiday sets the tone for the remainder of the “eating season”. Why do we allow ourselves, and perhaps more importantly our children, to be gorged with sugar, not just on Halloween but any day? It’s no secret that childhood obesity is a growing health issue in the States, and if we know that sugar is one of the leading contributors to this epidemic, why are we setting the future generation of this country up for failure? As adults we have to take responsibility and that starts with setting the right example. But enough venting. At least for now.

The other day I did something that I haven’t done since I was a child – I carved a pumpkin, and I invited a few friends over to join in the fall festivity. Walking through Target to pick up a few pumpkin-carving kits, I found myself surrounded by Halloween themed paper plates, home décor, and of course, candy. The sugar must have gone straight to my head because I caught myself wondering if I should bring home some treats for my guests. ‘Tis the season, right? After reading through the ingredient list on the back of a few different candy packages I gave up and walked over to the check-out isle and left the store with my pumpkin-carving kits. It occurred to me – if I felt even a drop of pressure to serve candy to my guests then surely moms and women who do not work in the health industry must also feel some sort of guilt and obligation to give in to this disturbing American tradition.

For a healthier Halloween and holiday feasting season, keep the candy (and all things sugar) out of the house. If it isn’t accessible then it can’t be eaten. It’s that simple.

You might be wondering, “How can I satisfy my sweet tooth?” or “How can my family enjoy the upcoming holidays without the candy and baked goods?”. These kinds of questions come up a lot year round with my health-coaching clients. The solution that works best for me is if I make it myself and only use real whole foods than it is ok to eat. This rule of thumb has a direct and deliberate impact on my actions. For example, I have to find the time (which includes buying the ingredients and spending time in the kitchen) to make something sweet and savory instead of dropping an item into my shopping cart, which takes all of two seconds. Guess which one is going to happen less often?

So here are some of my favorite sweet and savory treats that are sure to make your holiday feasting season just as delicious and satisfying. Click on the picture for the recipe.

Chocolate Cake

Crust:
1 cup walnuts
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
15 deglet dates (small) or 8 medjool dates (large)

Mousse Filling:
3 avocados
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup – 1/2 cup water
10 deglet dates (small) or 6 medjool dates (large)

Directions:

I strongly recommend using a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix. The ingredients are very tough to blend well and the crust gets very sticky!
Blend ingredients for crust. I think it helps if you do one ingredient at a time starting with the walnuts and adding to it to make it easiest on the blender. Scoop out and fill bottom of pie pan and up the sides evenly. You need to use your hands for this. It’s pretty sticky.
Blend ingredients for the filling and follow the same method (adding one ingredient at a time). Scoop filling onto pie crust and spread evenly. Any extra can be “icecream”. Put cake in freezer until it hardens. It will never freeze like an ice cream cake does – just firms up a lot. I would plan to let it sit in the freezer for at least 4 or 5 hours.

Pumpkin Muffins

Date Coconut Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tahini Oat Cookies

Apple Pecan Muffins

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Entertaining, Fall, Health Coaching, Holidays, Recipes, Sugar | No Comments »

Chocolate Brownies

Monday, September 6th, 2010

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is just around the corner and what better way to welcome the New Year but with sweetness? In the Jewish religion, we tend to celebrate holidays and life cycles surrounded by food. For Rosh Hashanah, typically we eat apples with honey to symbolize our hopes and wishes for a sweet and healthy new year for loved ones and ourselves. So when life calls for celebration and indulgence, it’s important to do so with real ingredients.

Holidays shouldn’t be an excuse to binge on the “bad stuff”. What’s the fun in that if you are going to spend the next week (or more) fighting your sugar cravings back under the rug?

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour

½ cup rolled oats, blended to flour consistency

¾ cup unsweetened applesauce

2 teaspoons ground flax seeds

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup cocoa powder

½ cup water

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup agave nectar

½ cup brown rice syrup

½ of a 3.5 oz dark chocolate bar (I like Green & Black 70% dark chocolate), chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease 8’’ x 8’’ pan

Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl, except for chopped dark chocolate

Combine wet ingredients in separate mixing bowl

Combine bowls and use electric hand mixer to blend thoroughly

Hand stir in chocolate chunks

Pour into greased pan and bake until cooked – approximately 45 minutes

Allow to cool completely and place in refrigerator to solidify

Enjoy your creamy, fudgy dessert!

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Entertaining, Holidays, Recipes, Sugar, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Zucchini Aplenty

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

My youngest sister, Arielle, is living with me this summer while she works in the garden at Warren Wilson College, about 25 minutes away from my home. Lucky for us, she brings home vegetables and other goodies from the garden a couple of days a week, providing us with delicious, organic, locally grown goodness. Zucchini and squash are very plentiful right now so we have made it our mission to come up with new and exciting ways to use this duo.

Here are two ideas. Both will make your home smell amazing in two very different ways!

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour

3 cups rolled oats, processed in blender to create flour consistency

1 large zucchini, grated with skin intact

1 cup honey

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon arrowroot powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

hand full of blueberries (optional)

hand full of chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease bread pan

Combine dry ingredients in bowl and mix well

Add honey and mix with spoon until ingredients are completely blended

Pour batter into bread pan

Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until top is golden brown and inside is fully cooked (stick a toothpick to test)

Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving

Rosemary Zucchini & Squash

Ingredients:

1 or 2 stems of rosemary

1 small zucchini

1 small squash

Other favorite spices

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Remove rosemary from stem and set aside

Cut zucchini and squash into ½ inch slices

“Thread” zucchini and squash onto rosemary stem and place in small bread loaf dish

Add about ¼ cup of water

Sprinkle rosemary onto zucchini and squash

Add any other favorite spices and a drop of extra virgin olive oil if desired

Cover with tinfoil

Bake until zucchini and squash are tender – approximately 20 minutes

Remove from stems and serve

Posted in Asheville, Baking, Desserts, Eating Local, Organic, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Summer, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 2 Comments »

Blueberry Pie – No Baking Needed!

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

I recently did the ol’ “switch-a-roo” of my closets. Any girl reading this post knows what I’m talking about – putting the sweaters and other fall / winter garments into storage and filling your closet with sundresses, tank tops and other spring and summer clothes. I always love the day I switch my closet because it’s like going shopping and discovering all these new clothes without having to spend a pretty penny! More importantly, it’s a sign that the seasons have officially turned and that means new foods are coming into season.

Ever notice how a salad seems more appealing to you in the summer than in the winter? This is because our bodies crave cooling foods when it’s hotter outside. Mother nature is telling us to eat foods raw or cold during spring and summer, as they will be more cooling than heavier foods. Foods that are cooked or steamed lightly and quickly can also having a cooling effect. The longer a food is cooked, the more warming it becomes. Make sense?

This blueberry pie is light but savory, and definitely cooling. It’s the first pie I ever made, and I have to say it was pretty easy, especially the clean up part because I only had the blender to clean. Make sure you are using a high-power blender like a Vita-Mix, because it takes a lot of power to turn these ingredients into piecrust and filling.

According to the Environmental Working Group, blueberries are one of the top twelve fruits and vegetables most likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues so it is important to buy organic blueberries. These pesticides are absorbed into the fruits and vegetables, so washing them does not eliminate the pesticide residues completely. A growing number of experts agree that small doses of pesticides can cause permanent damage to human health.

Blueberries provide some of the strongest antioxidant activity among fruits and vegetables. They get their dark blue color from anthocyanidins, which provide blueberries with vitamin C in addition to their antioxidant protection.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup unsweetened muesli

9 – 10 Medjool dates, sliced in half and pits removed

1 cup walnuts

¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes

Filling:

10 oz frozen blueberries

10 Medjool dates, sliced in half and pits removed

2 bananas

1 avocado

1 tablespoon shredded coconut

Directions:

To make the crust combine the crust ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend thoroughly. Use hands to scoop the batter and press it evenly onto the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan.

Use your thumb to press some of the batter up onto the side of the pan, about ¼ – ½ inch

To make the filling combine all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend completely.

Pour filling into center of pie and use back of spoon to spread it evenly across the crust.

Cover and freeze for at least three hours before serving.

Any extra batter should be frozen separately in a glass container for all-natural ice cream.

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Organic, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Sugar, Summer, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 2 Comments »

Peanut Butter Blondies

Friday, May 7th, 2010

My sister loves peanut butter so it only seemed appropriate to honor her birthday with peanut butter blondies. Inspired by the cookbook Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, I swapped a few ingredients for healthier alternatives.

Let me be clear – this dessert is not a “health food”, but to avoid dessert for eternity is unrealistic for most of us. When indulging, it’s important to do so with real foods, not chemicals or artificial ingredients and flavoring.

Instead of sugar I used brown rice syrup, which is a great alternative to sugar. It is made by fermenting brown rice with enzymes to disintegrate the natural starch of this whole grain. After straining off the fermented liquid, the substance is cooked to a syrup consistency. It has a mild sweet buttery flavor so it is excellent for a bit of sweetness in your tea, salad dressings, sauces, and of course in desserts. Brown rice syrup takes longer for the body to breakdown and digest then sugar because of the complex carbohydrates components, so your energy levels will remain constant instead of crashing shortly after indulging.

Rolled oats are a great substitute for white flour. Just like white sugar, white flour enters the bloodstream quickly, causing mood and energy spikes and crashes. Refined carbohydrates, like white flour, not only lack any nutritional benefits, but have been linked to a range of health issues including weight gain and heart disease. Whole grains, like rolled oats, remain rich in micronutritents and fiber.

Ingredients:

2 cups Rolled Oats

½ cup organic Peanut Butter

¼ Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup Almond milk (or milk of your choice)

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup Brown Rice Syrup

Optional: 1/3 cup peanuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease 8 x 8 inch baking dish

Use blender or food processor to blend rolled oats to create flour consistency

In medium mixing bowl combine, use spoon to mix peanut butter, oil and brown rice syrup.

Stir in nondairy milk and vanilla.

Stir in flour and baking powder. Blend well.

Transfer dough into baking pan and press into place.

Sprinkle on the peanuts and lightly press them into the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the blondie edges are slightly darkened.

The top will appear soft and that is ok.

Allow pan to cool completely. You may even want to put the pan into the refrigerator for an hour or two before slicing to make them extra firm, but still moist and delicious.

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Rice, Sugar, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 2 Comments »

A Very Happy Passover

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

Passover is my favorite holiday. Period. It’s like Thanksgiving, but with singing and telling stories.

I have vivid memories of Seders at my uncle’s house in Boston when I was young. My siblings, cousins and I prepared for the Seder by rolling tinfoil and masking tape into tiny balls and building origami frogs. When it came time to recite the plagues during the Seder, the dining room became Egypt and our parents (the Egyptians) were subjected to all of the plagues including hail, lice and frogs! We acted out plays, sang songs, and of course read the story of how the Hebrews were freed from slavery in Egypt. It was always a lot of fun, even as we got too old to reenact the plagues.

So why would this year be any different? Now instead of rolling tape into tiny balls, I spent hours in the kitchen with my mom preparing the food we would enjoy for my favorite festival. We made a variety of dishes – both traditional and others to accommodate all dietary preferences including matzah ball soup, gefilte fish, honey chicken, brisket, quinoa salad and lots of steamed vegetables. For dessert we had banana bread, date coconut cookies, chocolate covered macaroons and lots of fresh fruit.

I added about 3/4 of a cup of dark chocolate chips to the banana bread. This made the loaf a little more dense, but still very moist and sweet. It was a big hit!

I used almond flour instead of ground oats for the date coconut cookies in order to make them kosher for Passover. They still tasted great, but if you have any leftovers, make sure you store them in the refrigerator because the almond flour makes them softer than when using the oats.

Buying premade or canned gefilte fish is common. This year we made it from scratch. Turns out it was pretty easy, and with the compliments we got, I don’t think we will ever use the canned stuff again.

Gifilte Fish

Ingredients: (for 1lb of fillets)

1 large onion

1 carrot, peeled

1 lb fish fillets or ground fish (we used white fish fillets)

2 eggs

1 tablespoon matzo meal

¼ cup cold water

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon sugar

64 ounces fish stock

Directions:

Cut onion, carrot and fish into 2 inch chunks

Process carrot and onion in food processor until finely minced, about 10 seconds

Add fish chunks and process until very smooth, about 35-40 seconds (If fish is already minced, reduce processing time to 20 seconds)

Add remaining ingredients (except fish stock) and process about 15 seconds, until well mixed

Pour fish stock into large bowl pot and add heat

Use hands to form fish batter into small fillets and add to simmering fish stock. It helps if you moisten your hands first with cold water so the fish batter doesn’t stick to your hands.

Cover and simmer for 2 hours.

Remove cover last 30 minutes to reduce the liquid

Cool and remove fillets from broth and transfer to platter

Garnish with the usual and serve

The coconut macaroon recipe is inspired by ElanasPantry.com. This recipe makes 25-30 macaroons.

Chocolate Covered Macaroons

Ingredients:

6 egg whites

¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt

½ cup agave nectar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups shredded coconut

Optional: ½ of 3.5 ounce bar of organic dark chocolate (70% or higher)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In mixing bowl use electric mixer to mix eggs and salt until stiff and fluffy

Use spoon to mix agave, vanilla and shredded coconut

Use spoons to place 1 inch size balls of batter onto parchment lined baking sheet

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned

While macaroons are cooling, melt chocolate in small pot. Make sure it doesn’t burn.

Remove pot from flame

Use hands to dip tops of macaroons into liquid chocolate

Place macaroon back on baking tray with parchment paper

Place tray in refrigerator to allow chocolate to harden

Serve

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Entertaining, Holidays, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 1 Comment »

Michelle’s Red Velvet Coconut Muffins

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

My friend and fellow classmate at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Michelle, has a great website and flourishing health coaching business. After a few hours of studying I took a break to do a little web surfing and stumbled across her Red Velvet Coconut Muffins. Holy moly did they look good! I happened to have all of the ingredients already in my kitchen, and they seemed easy enough that I thought I’d take an even longer study break to whip up a batch.

The study break was well worth it – they came out moist and delicious! I followed Michelle’s recipe except I substituted wheat flour for almond flour, because I already had almond flour in my house. I brought half the batch to my sister who is a student at Warren Wilson College about 15 minutes away, and she and her friends loved them too.

I just had to share the recipe with all of you, and Michelle graciously gave me the thumbs up to post her recipe on my website. So enjoy the muffins and if you dig ‘em let her know – she’s working on a cookbook!

Ingredients:

1 cup roasted beets, shredded (about 3 beets)
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup dried, unsweetened coconut (plus more for topping)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. In food processor or with a grater, shred beets. Combine with all wet ingredients in a medium sized bowl. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add wet mixture and blend. Spoon batter into muffin tin and fill each cup to the top or even overfilling a bit. Sprinkle with more dried coconut if you wish. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Desserts, Health Coaching, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 2 Comments »

Date Coconut Cookies

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

May be it’s because of my Middle Eastern background, but dates are one of my go-to foods whenever I’m having a sweet tooth. They are so naturally sweet and just two or three can really hit the spot. Combined with coconut and you have one heck of a dessert!

These cookies are one of my best yet! They are sort of like the Samoas Girl Scout cookie, but without the added sugar, refined flours and processed ingredients.

There isn’t much more to say except give these a try! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients:

1 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup oats

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 cup hemp milk (or milk / milk substitute of your choice)

Optional: Dark chocolate

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease cookie sheet

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor

Blend thoroughly until cookie batter is free of any large date pieces

Use spoons (or hands) to put 1 inch balls of batter onto greased cookie sheet. The cookies will expand in the oven so make sure there is some space in between each ball.

Flatten softly with the back of a spoon

Bake for approximately 12 minutes – until the edges are golden brown

Allow to cool thoroughly.

Optional: Put half of a 3.5oz dark chocolate bar into a small pot on low heat. Chocolate will melt faster if you break up the chocolate into individual squares before setting in the pot. Once melted, use spoon to drizzle chocolate onto cookies

Put cookies in refrigerator to harden. Any leftover should be stored in the refrigerator as well.

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 5 Comments »

Desserts

Pumpkin Cocoa Muffins

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bread

Trick or Treat!

Chocolate Brownies

Zucchini Aplenty

Blueberry Pie – No Baking Needed!

Peanut Butter Blondies

A Very Happy Passover

Michelle’s Red Velvet Coconut Muffins

Date Coconut Cookies

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