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pumpkin muffins

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

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I’ve never really had a soft spot for the typical comfort “on-the-go” breakfast foods like muffins, donuts, bagels and scones. With the colder months and holidays ahead, I thought it was a good idea to come up with a muffin recipe for those who do have that soft spot.


Often times people tribute any extra weight they might be carrying around to their morning breakfast routine of bagels, pancakes, or [fill in the blank with your favorite pastry or starchy breakfast food]. My response when I hear comments like is to figure out how to make a not-so-good-for-you food a better-for-you food, which usually means making it at home. Depriving yourself of foods that you crave is not going to do anyone any good. This is why fad and crash dieting never works in the long run.


When you cook for yourself instead of eating from a restaurant you know exactly what is in your food. Keep in mind that restaurants are a business so their main objective is profit. They want the food to taste good so that you keep coming back and with friends. They might choose to use less healthy or cheaper ingredients in order to keep their profit up.


These muffins are great because they are mini but satisfying. I added flaxseeds for extra fiber to help you feel fuller longer. Flaxseeds are one of the most concentrated plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid, which means we can only get it from the foods we eat. We need essential fatty acids for tissue strength, muscle tone, cholesterol metabolism, blood clotting and a healthy heart… pretty important stuff.


When you use flaxseeds, always make sure you grind them up before serving. Grinding them up breaks their hard shells and allows for digestion and absorption of their nutrients. You can grind them in a coffee grinder – it’s that easy. Store them in an airtight container in a cool and dark place like your refrigerator.


So go ahead… give ‘em a try.


Ingredients:

1.5 cups almond flour

3/4 cups oat flour (pour rolled oats into your blender and hit the switch). If you are gluten free (GF) make you sure you buy GF rolled oats. They aren’t all GF.

15 oz pumpkin (canned is fine)

2 tablespoons flax seed, grounded

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup cranberries (optional)

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda


Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Combine all ingredients except cranberries in a large mixing bowl and blend

Fold in cranberries with spoon

Pour batter into muffin baking sheet. The batter will not rise very much so you can fill it 3/4 or more of the way full.

Bake until golden brown on top – approximately 40 minutes

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

Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

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The Bareket’s will be hosting Thanksgiving 2009 for about 30 people – both family and close friends. Your first response might be “Holy crap! 30 people!” or “Are they crazy?”, but to be honest I really love and enjoy the company of my “family” (those that I am related to by blood and those that I sometimes forget that I am not really related to.). Besides, isn’t that what Thanksgiving is all about? Lots of food, lots of people and lots to be thankful for? It sure is in my house!

 

Growing up in a family of 6, it was always pretty easy to have a large crowd at any meal – holiday or not, so the idea of 30 doesn’t sound too overwhelming to me, but it’s still a lot of people… and a lot of different taste buds! That’s why I’m starting to experiment with some new recipes NOW! The guests shouldn’t be the guinea pigs (even if they are family)! Some of us are more health conscious than others, so I want to make sure that everything on the menu satisfies everyone!


I wanted a basic chocolate chip cookie that I could use for Thanksgiving, but also for any occasion and these really hit the spot! They are super easy to make and they sure do taste good! These cookies don’t have any wheat or gluten and I substituted honey for sugar.


I spent quite a bit of time in the baking aisle at my local grocery store trying to decide on the “right” chocolate chip, and none of them really got my taste buds groovin’. I finally decided to throw all of the pre-made chocolate chip options out the window and come up with my own “chip”. I added 1 bar of Green & Black dark chocolate to my shopping basket and headed to the check-out counter. Details on that later.


So here is my recipe. It makes about 2.5 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 banana

4 tablespoons Ghee (or organic butter)

1/3 cup honey (or agave nectar)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 bar ( 3.5 oz) dark chocolate, chopped (I used Green & Black 70% dark chocolate)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pour rolled oats into blender and blend until they become a fine flour texture.

Combine all ingredients except the dark chocolate in a large mixing bowl and blend well.

Add chopped dark chocolate and stir into batter with spoon. Do not use an electric blender.

Grease baking sheet. Scoop dough and place on baking sheet. Each scoop should be about 1 inch in diameter. The cookies will grow in all directions in the oven so don’t place the balls too close together.

Grease back of fork and use to flatten cookies.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until edges become golden brown.

Let cool for about 2 minutes and use spatula to move cookies to a cooling rack. Let cookies sit until they are cooled completely.

Enjoy!

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Posted in Desserts, Entertaining, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Sugar, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 9 Comments »

red quinoa = sweet & satisfying

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

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You have heard me say this before, and I promise you will hear me say it again – I love sweet foods. I really do. I hear comments all the time from people feeling stressed and anxious by the war on their sweet tooth or whatever it is they crave, that never seems to end.  The way I see it – cravings are just our body’s way of trying to tell us something. Our bodies work hard to maintain homeostasis 24/7 doing all sorts of crazy things, like maintaining body temperature and controlling muscle movements in our digestive system to make sure we are constantly in a state of balance. That’s a pretty tough job! So why should the foods we crave mean anything different? We just have to listen!


Instead of chowing down on candy bars and chocolate to satisfy my cravings, I incorporate naturally sweet foods into my diet on a regular basis. This way my body gets what it needs without the harmful effects of sugar like suppression of the immune system, varicose veins, and weight gain. And you know what? I don’t really crave the high-sugar and high-processed sweets that you typically find in a movie theater or the checkout counter of your local convenience store. They just don’t “talk to me” the way they used to years ago.


So next time you feel like having something sweet try red quinoa. It’s a whole-grain so it will be absorbed into your bloodstream slowly, keeping your mood and energy leveled, but sweeter than regular quinoa to satisfy the sweet craving. For more information about the benefits of whole-grains check out my post on why we need carbs. 

 

I added local veggies and sesame seeds to the cooked quinoa. Check out the recipe below. 

 

Ingredients

1 cup red quinoa, cooked

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/4 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup peppers, chopped

1/2 cup dark leafy greens (I used swiss chard)


Directions

To cook the quinoa I like to use a rice cooker. It’s so easy – all you have to do is rinse the quinoa, add water (1 part quinoa to 2 parts water), hit the “cook” button and that’s it! It turns itself off once cooked.

If you use the stove – rinse your grains to remove the bitter coating, saponin. Quinoa is usually rinsed before it’s packaged, but it can’t hurt to rinse it again. Combine 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups of water in a saucepan, cover with lid and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook until the water has been absorbed – approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat.


Roast sesame seeds – place in dry saucepan and apply heat. Once they start popping, they are done. Keep your eye on these guys so they don’t burn.

 

Water saute veggies

 

Combine quinoa, sesame seeds and veggies


So next time you have a craving don’t panic and grab the first edible item in site! Listen to your body and see what it really wants.

 

 

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Posted in Eating Local, Kitchen Gadgets, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Sugar, Vegetarian / Vegan | 3 Comments »

Have a sweet tooth? I have a remedy.

Sunday, September 27th, 2009

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I admit it. My entire life I have always had a sweet tooth. I never really struggled with my weight or had other health problems growing up, so I was never forced to address and curb my addiction. That’s right – we get addicted to sugar. Eating even a small amount leads to desire for more and when we “kick the habit” we go through withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, mood swings, cravings and fatigue. I no longer get my “fix” from M&M’s, chocolate chip cookies, and gummy candies (my 3 favorites when I was younger). Instead I incorporate sweet vegetables into my daily diet which alleviates the need for the big sugar kick I used to rely on from cookies and candy.


Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants including Vitamin C and beta-carotene (what becomes Vitamin A in your body). They are also great sources of iron, Vitamin B6, potassium and fiber! Plus they taste pretty darn good. They are super sweet and but without all the added sugar.


This recipe is full of sweetness and you get all the added health benefits by eating sweet potatoes instead of sugar, corn starch and cocoa butter. 

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes

Cinnamon

Extra virgin Olive Oil


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Chop sweet potatoes and place in baking dish large enough so that the potatoes are evenly dispersed across the bottom of the dish

Sprinkle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and cinnamon

Toss potatoes to make sure they are evenly coated

Bake until tender – approximately 30 minutes


These potatoes are quick and easy, make a great side dish to any meal or can be eaten by themselves at any temperature as a sweet snack.

 




 

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

Sweet (Sugar Free & Wheat Free) Banana Bread

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

banna bread

It has been several years since I’ve eaten foods in the Standard American Diet (SAD), but I never tire from creating new dishes that are easy and tasty but are also healthier alternatives.  For those of you who can relate, you probably have noticed that your palate has changed as your diet has changed. I tell clients this all the time, but they never believe me… until they go through it themselves. The trick when cooking and baking is to find a dish that not only tastes good to you, but to those who still eat the SAD. After all, you do want your family and friends (including SAD taste buds) to enjoy what you prepared.

This, my friends, is one of those recipes.

It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 1 hour to cook. Not bad, right? The hardest part is remembering to buy the bananas in advance. I’ve found that the quality of the banana bread depends largely on how ripe the bananas are at the time of baking. You want them to be a soft, may be even slightly bruised so that you can easily mash them with a fork.

Now let’s talk about flour. Wheat free flours are a great alternative if you do not eat wheat, but finding the right consistency can sometimes be a challenge. My favorite flour is almond flour. It has the perfect texture, is great for baking and adds a wonderful but not overly oppressing nutty flavor to your dish. Another plus – you are getting protein from the almonds which is something you can’t get in most other types of flour unless they are nut based. A less expensive option would be to grind up almonds and use that as a substitute. It works just as well.

Milk – I prefer unsweetened hempmilk for cooking and baking. Again, I think it helps create the best consistency, but I encourage you to experiment and see what type of milk or milk substitute you like best.

Ingredients:
1 stick of Organic unsalted butter or 8 tablespoons Earth Balance or other dairy free alternative, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 bananas
1 tablespoon hemp milk
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup agave nectar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Grease 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan
In 1 bowl, melt butter and add eggs, beating well after each egg is added
In another bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Add the milk and cinnamon.
In a third bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients – almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt.
Combine ingredients and mix well.
While blending, add agave nectar.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the bread should be firm and brown.
Put on cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing. I also have found that refrigerating after completely cooled creates a firmer loaf.

Your banana bread will be incredibly moist, almost cake-like and super sweet. Enjoy!

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Posted in Baking, Desserts, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Sugar, Wheat Free | 6 Comments »

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