Choco Coconut Almont Banana Smoothie

Chocolate! Coconut! Almond! Banana! In a smoothie! This is my go-to quick breakfast of late, but it could also double as a dessert!

Makes 1 Super Delicious Smoothie

1 banana
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
1 scoop unsweetened protein powder (optional)
1 teaspoon flax seed meal (optional)

For breakfast smoothie, I include the protein powder and flax. For dessert smoothie, I omit those and include the vanilla.

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and mix on high until well blended. For an icy treat, add 4-5 ice cubes to the blender.

Guest Post - Very Peach Cobbler

My cousin Tobe put together a great summer peach cobbler that is low in added sugar and gluten free. She was so thrilled with the results she wanted to share with my readers (if there are any of you left out there!). She even included step by step photos. Here is Tobe's post:

I found some great Organic peaches at Costco and decided to make a cobbler. I have trying to cut down on my sugar and carb intake, so I surfed the web trying to find recipes that had limited sugar and no flour. I couldn't find a single recipe that used exactly what I wanted, so I decided to make my own recipe. Its pretty forgiving so you can change things up to suit your own tastes. If you don't have Stevia, you can use agave syrup or honey. If you don't have coconut oil, you could use butter or Earth's Balance.

Ingredients:

Fruit:
6 cups chopped, fresh organic peaches
10 packets of Stevia
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp good Bourbon such as Makers Mark (optional)
Taste your fruit and determine its sweetness. Stevia is 30 times sweeter than sugar. You could use up to 20 packages in this recipe.

Topping:
4 eggs or equal amount Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/4 cup of melted Coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup of shredded coconut or nuts of your choice
2 Tbsp of Earth's Balance

Directions:

Peel the skins off your peaches. Cut up into bite size pieces.

Add Bourbon to the chopped peaches.

Sprinkle fruit with Stevia and cornstarch. Gently fold together until Stevia and cornstarch have dissolved.

Pour your fruit into a 13 x 9 baking dish and set aside.

Mix melted coconut oil and eggs together.

Pour in coconut flour and add coconut milk. Mix until you have a batter like consistency.

Top the fruit with batter. If you find you don't have enough batter to cover the fruit, make a second batch of the topping. Dot the top of the batter with Earth's Best/Earth Balance.

Bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees.

Serve with your ice cream, frozen yogurt or coconut milk ice cream.

Raw Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate

I got this idea and recipe from a co-worker. Homemade raw, vegan chocolate is a great substitution for a expensive dark chocolate bars I usually have on hand. When I have a craving, I enjoy one or two pieces and that is usually enough to satisfy the chocolate monster within. The cocoa powder has a slightly bitter after-taste, which you can mitigate by adding more sweetener. I don't mind the bitter taste and find it's actually beneficial as it stops me from over indulging!

Raw Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate

- 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted slightly if solid
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp agave nectar
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)
- 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, whole or chopped (optional)
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries (optional)

1. Line a small, shallow dish, pan or tray with parchment or waxed paper. A larger size pan will produce thinner bark type chocolate. A smaller pan will produce a thicker bar type chocolate. You may also have to make more than one batch to fill your tray. I usually make two batches at once, which fills a 8" x 5" tray perfectly.

2. Add coconut oil, cocoa powder, vanilla and agave to a small bowl and whisk until well blended and smooth.

3. Add in coconut, macadamia nuts and cranberries. Stir together.

4. Pour mixture into lined dish. Using a spatula, spread mixture around to evenly coat the pan.

5. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. When set, remove from fridge and break into chunks.

6. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated when not in use. Coconut oil has a low melting point so if you leave your chocolate out, you will end up with a big mess!

This recipe is incredibly versatile. The only required ingredients are coconut oil and cocoa powder. Other than that, you are free to experiment and add in or remove whatever you'd like. You can also make bonbons by using mini muffin tins or make chocolate bars by scoring the chocolate after it has set slightly, then cutting it into bars when completely set.

Pumpkin Trifle

Hello! I'm back! Are you shocked? I did not abandon my blog. Just been taking a hiatus. To be quite honest I haven't even been cooking all that much the last six months. It's quite sad and pathetic actually. I hope to post a few recipes over the next month, then I will be taking another short break while I move houses.

This lovely holiday dessert recipe comes from my cousin. I made individual portions for Thanksgiving and it was a huge success. There is nothing healthy or natural about this recipe. It's the holidays... let's live a little!

The base of my trifle is spice cake. If you live in the USA you can buy packages of Gingerbread mix, which is what the original recipe called for. In my area of Canada all we have available is Spice Cake mix and it did the trick just fine!



Pumpkin Trifle

- (USA) 2 (14oz) packages gingerbread mix or(Canada) 1 box Spice Cake mix (Duncan Hines - available at Save On Foods)
- 1 large box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 30oz can pumpkin pie filling
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 tsp ground cardamom, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- 1 12oz container Cool Whip, thawed
- 1/2 cup crushed ginger snaps, optional

1. Bake gingerbread mix or spice cake mix according to package directions. Cool completely.

2. Meanwhile, prepare pudding. Stir in pumpkin pie filling, brown sugar and spices.

3. Crumble half the gingerbread or spice cake into a large trifle bowl, punch bowl or other pretty glass bowl*. Pour half the pudding mixture over top, then add a layer of Cool Whip. Repeat with remaining cake, pudding and Cool Whip. Sprinkle crushed ginger snaps on top to garnish.

4. Refrigerate overnight.

*You could also use individual dessert bowls as I did. Portion the ingredients according to the number of servings you require and layer according to directions.

Enjoy!

Grandma's No Bake Whipped Cheesecake

My Grandma has been making this cheesecake for over 40 years. She pinched the recipe from the restaurant kitchen when she worked at Woolworth's in the early 1960's. (It's also known as Woolworth's Icebox Cheesecake.) This cheesecake has been a favourite in my family ever since, and makes an appearance at every major family function and holiday gathering. I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon at Grandma's the other day learning how to make this classic dessert. It's easier than I expected, although a stand mixer (which I do not have) is a definite must. It could be put together using an electric hand mixer but would require a bit more time and effort.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 block (250g) cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tins evaporated milk, refrigerated overnight before using
- 1 large packet lemon gelatin
- 2/3 cup boiling water
- 2/3 cup cold water

Directions:

1. Mix 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together in a bowl. Press crumbs into a deep 9x12 inch baking pan, covering the bottom and up the sides about half an inch. Reserve the other 1/2 cup of the crumbs for topping. Refrigerate crust until ready to use.

2. Add cream cheese, sugar and vanilla to a small bowl of an electric stand mixer and cream together until smooth and well blended, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

3. Add milk to a large bowl an electric stand mixer and whip until stiff peaks are formed.

4. While milk is beating, prepare gelatin. Mix gelatin powder with boiling water and cold water. Mix well to dissolve powder but do not allow to congeal.

5. While mixer is running, slowly add gelatin mixture to whipped milk. Mix together on slow speed for 1/2 a minute.

6. While mixer is still running, slowly add cream cheese mixture to whipped milk. Mix together on slow speed for another 1/2 minute or until all cream cheese is incorporated.

7. Pour mixture over crumbs in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over top. Refrigerate at least 12 hours before serving.

Skillet Sautéed Caramel Apple Crisp

I picked up some beautiful apples at the Farmer's Market the other day from Silverhill Apple Orchard. I was planning to make apple snacks in my food dehydrator but decided to postpone that task for another week. Instead I cooked up a tasty dessert that can be ready in about 25 minutes.

Serves 4

Skillet Sautéed Caramel Apples

2 apples - halved cored and sliced thin (Peel if you want; I didn't)
splash lemon juice
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 tbsp sucanat
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp Apple Pie Spice (See below)
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl, toss together apple slices and lemon juice.

2. Melt butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add apple slices and stir to coat in butter.

3. Add sucanat, honey, Apple Pie Spice and vanilla. Mix together and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender and a thick caramel sauce has formed.

4. Remove from heat and pour apples and caramel sauce into a glass or ceramic baking dish or individual ramekins. Set aside.

Crisp Oat Topping

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup sucanat
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Apple Pie Spice (See below)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Mix everything together in a medium bowl. Mixture should be moist. If too dry, add another tablespoon of melted butter.

2. Spoon mixture over top of sautéed apples and caramel sauce and press down so it is a compact, even layer.

3. Place baking dish in oven and broil on low for 2-3 minutes, until top is golden brown and crisp. (Don't burn it like I did!)

4. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream!


Apple Pie Spice Mix

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of ground cloves

1. Add everything to a Mason jar. Screw on lid and shake well to mix. Use within six months.

I also used my Apple Pie Spice Mix in Caramel Apple Pie Burritos!

Cleaned Up Cream Cheese Brownie Cake

This recipe comes from an old cook book called So Fat, Low Fat, No Fat by Betty Rohde. I used to make this all the time when I was in college. It's already a pretty good recipe but I wanted to clean it up to eliminate the refined ingredients and make a few substitutions for things like fat-free mayonnaise and light corn syrup (yuck)!

Cake:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unrefined golden cane sugar (I use Cuisine Camino brand)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp honey or agave syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup warm water

Cream Cheese Swirl:

1/3 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 tbsp unrefined golden cane sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9 inch square baking dish.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Stir until blended. Add yogurt, honey, vanilla and water. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour batter into greased baking pan and set aside while you prepare the cream cheese topping.

3. In a small bowl. combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Mix together until smooth and creamy. Drop about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture into 4 or 5 places on top of the cake batter. Place the tip of a butter knife into the centre of each cream cheese dollop and drag the cream cheese around to make swirls on top of the cake.


This is my swirl after baking. It sucks. Sometimes it takes some practice, and it helps if your cream cheese is really soft and creamy!

4. Bake for 40-45 minutes in pre-heated oven until cake is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool, then cut into squares. Serve with melted Toblerone Fudge Sauce.

This post is part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.

Lemon Blueberry Spelt Crumb Cake

This post was done in advance because I am out of town and today is my birthday!!

I'm trying to finish off the last of a 5 pint container of blueberries. I've frozen plenty, dehydrated some and preserved some more in alcohol. Tomorrow I have a date with my Grandma and Cousin to can some beets! I can't show up empty handed so this cake is perfect. For someone who hates baking, I have been doing an awful lot of it lately!

Adapted from Canadian Living

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 1/4 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 whole eggs
2/3 cup unrefined cane sugar (I use Cuisine Camino Golden Cane Sugar)
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest from 1 lemon
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1. Pre heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl toss together blueberries and 2 tbsp of whole wheat flour. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, add spelt flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk together to mix well.

4. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together until well blended and creamy. Stir in melted butter, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix well.

5. Gradually add flour mixture into liquid mixture and stir together until blended and smooth. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan.

6. Bake in pre-heated oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and leave cake to cool slightly in the pan, then remove and finish cooling on a rack.

Cranberry Orange Butter

Another Preserve the Bounty Challenge from week 2 - preserving in oil or fat. Do you think I have enough compound butters yet!?

This is an extra special compound butter so it deserves its own post. See the original compound butters post here. In this application we use frozen cranberries as they are easier to mix into the butter and easier to mince in a food processor.

1/4 cup frozen cranberries
1 tsp honey (preferably orange blossom)
zest from 1 large orange
1/2 cup soft butter

1. Place frozen cranberries in a food processor and process until minced. Place processed cranberries in a medium bowl.

2. Add orange zest and honey and mix together.

3. Blend in softened butter, using a firm spatula. Spread butter and mix well to get cranberry mixture incorporated throughout.

4. Spoon blended butter onto a sheet of parchment. Roll one end of the parchment over the butter. Using your hands, form and roll the butter in a small log. Twist the ends of the parchment to close. (Mine looks more like a 2x4 than a log, but that's okay too!)

5. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Great on muffins, toast and pancakes!

Try blueberries and lemon zest next time!

Blueberry Orange Muffins with Blueberry Filling

Week by week the blueberry supply at the Farmer's Market is dwindling. I missed my chance to buy a case by one week. I kept putting it off and putting it off. Oh well, I still managed to freeze 4 cups, dehydrate 2 cups and preserve 2 cups in Peach Schanpps!

Up today, blueberry muffins made with whole wheat and spelt flours, flavoured with fresh orange juice and zest. And as an added surprise, a dollop of homemade blueberry preserves in the middle!

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup wheat germ (optional - use another 1/4 cup whole wheat or spelt flour instead of wheat germ)
1/3 cup sucanat or cane sugar (like turbinado)
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Juice and zest from 1 orange
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 egg
1 cup fresh blueberries, plus an additional 1/4 cup
1/4 cup blueberry preserves

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 12 cup muffin tin with olive oil cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a second bowl, add orange juice and zest, coconut oil, vanilla extract, yogurt and egg. Stir together.

4. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together until just combined. Gently fold in 1 cup of blueberries.

5. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup. Top with a teaspoon of blueberry preserves. Cover preserves with another 2 tablespoons of batter and pat down around the preserves to cover and seal. Sprinkle a few blueberries on the muffin batter.

6. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until tops are golden brown. Leave muffins to cool the muffin pan, then remove.

When I made my batter, I forgot to put the melted coconut oil in. The muffins still turned out fabulous.

Beet Cakes

Beets? In a cake? It's another crazy recipe from Richardo! Remember the Lettuce Soup? Yea... that was him too!

I love beets and I love baked goods. Seemed like a no-brainer to try this recipe out. One online reviewer raved "you would never guess it contains beets!" There is a very faint earthy taste of beets, but it isn't unpleasant. The vibrant pink colour is a nice touch too. Even my mom, who HATES beets, enjoyed her beet cake! These cakes are sweet and buttery with a hint of lemon. Served slightly warm, they are so moist that you don't need any added icing or other topping, although Ricardo's Mascarpone Cream looks delicious! I will be making these again for sure. Next time I may try an un-refined alternative to all the white sugar though.

A side note - my cakes didn't rise too much. Actually they didn't rise at all! I think I need some new baking powder.

Adapted from Ricardo & Friends

Beet Cakes:

1 cup peeled, grated raw beets
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup unrefined cane sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds (optional)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, soften grated beets in butter and lemon juice, for about 5 minutes. Let cool so no longer hot to the touch.

3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

4. In another larger bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes. Add in the dry ingredients and mix together then gently fold in the beet mixture. Do not over mix!

5. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Sprinkle with the slivered almonds.

6. Bake in pre-heated oven for between 20 minutes or, until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a cake comes out clean.

7. Loosen the cakes by running a knife around the inside of each muffin cup. Gently remove the cakes, without inverting the pan, and place on a cooling rack to cool slightly (I found them better slightly warm). If serving with ice cream or Ricardo's Mascarpone Cream, let cool completely before topping with the cream.

Berry Cheesecake Whole Wheat Crepes

My co-worker Leasa asked me to make a crepe recipe. I've never made crepes. I'm not even much of a pancake person. Regardless, I took Leasa's challenge and came up with a very nice crepe with strawberry, blueberry and cheese filling. The inspiration for the cheese filling comes from an episode of "Eat Shrink and Be Merry". Janet and Greta were trying to re-create a super indulgent cheesecake recipe. In place of cream cheese and ricotta, they used a blend of protein rich cottage cheese, sour cream and light cream cheese. I figured that would work just as well as a crepe filling. The crepes themselves are made with whole wheat flour and unrefined cane sugar... I cleaned the classic crepe recipe up as much as I could. Thankfully, the butter stays!

I had a hell of a time making the crepes. There was a lot of trial and error before I got the batter right. There was also a lot of trial and error before I figured out how to cook them properly. I started with a 12 inch fry pan but quickly switched to a much smaller 8 inch pan. The crepes are quite small (the size of large pancakes), but they were easier to cook and actually easier to serve. Instead of rolling, I simply folded the crepe sides over like an omelette.

If you have your own fool-proof crepe recipe and crepe cooking method, I suggest you stick with it. Just try my Berry Cheesecake filling. It's divine!

Berry Cheesecake Filling:

1 cup fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and diced
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup agave syrup
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cream cheese

1. Add strawberries, blueberries and honey to a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Mash strawberries using back of a spoon or a fork. When mixture is of a syrupy consistency, remove from heat and set aside.

2. Blend vanilla, agave, cottage cheese, sour cream and cream cheese in a food process and mix until smooth. Remove mixture and place into a bowl. Add half of the strawberry mixture to the cheese mixture and fold together. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up the mixture. Set aside. Save the other half of the strawberry mixture for topping.

You can also make the filling without berries. It's good plain as well!

Crepes:

Adapted from Eating Well Magazine

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tbsp sucanat
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp butter, melted
1/2 cup club soda

1. Add everything, except club soda, to a blender and combine until smooth. Pour into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. When ready to cook crepes, add club soda into batter and mix gently.

3. Dab a paper towel in oil and lightly wipe the inside of a small non-stick skillet (I used an 8 inch). Heat skillet over medium high heat. When water dripped into pan sizzles, pan is hot and ready to make crepes!

4. Ladle about a 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet. Immediately lift, tilt and rotate pan to spread batter into a thin, even layer.

5. Cook the crepe until the underside is lightly browned and the top begins to bubble slightly, about 30 seconds. Work a spatula with a long handle under the crepe to loosen. Either use the spatula to flip the crepe or once loosened, shake the pan to flip. Cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 20 seconds longer. Slide the crepe onto a plate. Repeat process until desired number of crepes is reached. Keep prepared crepes warm in the oven, set to a low temperature.

6. When ready to serve, spoon several tablespoons of strawberry cheese mixture down one side of the crepe, about a quarter way in. Using your fingers, roll the crepe around your filling, like a burrito, keeping the ends open. Place crepe seam side down on a plate. If your crepes are small, like mine, you could also just fold the crepe in half, around the filling, like an omelette. Top with a spoonful of reserved strawberry compote.

For a picture tutorial of how to make and fold crepes, see here.

If not using crepes right away, store crepes between sheets of wax paper. Crepes can be refrigerated for two days or frozen for one month.

Haupia (Hawaiian Coconut Pudding)

Haupia is a traditional Hawaiian Lu'au desert made with coconut milk and arrowroot starch. When heated together, the ingredients take on a gelatinous texture, and when cooled, the result can be cut into cubes for serving. Top with fresh fruit and sorbet and you have quite a nice dessert for dinner party guests!

After Dinner Notes: I was excited to try this recipe. I love coconut and I thought coconut with raspberry sorbet and fresh raspberries would be a perfect after dinner treat for my family's recent lobster dinner get together. I prepared the Haupia around 4:30pm and put it in the fridge to set. I was optimistic that it would set within a few hours. When the time came to serve dessert at 7:00pm, the Haupia was solid and firm, but it wasn't firm enough to cut into cubes as the recipe indicated. Instead, I spooned it out like a pudding, except it had the consistency of gelatin. The taste was good but the elastic, gelatinous consistency wasn't super appealing. I'm not sure the Haupia just didn't fully set, or if that is the way it is supposed to be. It did go quite well with the fruit sorbet and fresh fruit. Overall I would say it was a bit of a bust. Not sure if I would try it again. I'm going to post the recipe anyway in case any of you are interested or are familiar with the dish and have any tips or suggestions.



Haupia (Hawaiian Coconut Pudding):

Recipe from Say Choy's Aloha Cuisine

1 12oz can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp arrowroot starch*
dash of clear vanilla extract

1. In a large saucepan combine coconut milk and milk.

2. In a small bowl, blend together sugar and arrowroot starch. Add to saucepan and stir into coconut mixture. Whisk well to avoid lumps.

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens. This will only take a couple minutes.

4. Pour into an 8 inch square glass baking dish. Chill in refrigerator for several hours. When firm, cut into small squares or triangles.

5. Serve with fresh fruit, sorbet, chopped roasted nuts or a drizzle of honey or agave syrup.

To make your own coconut milk, mix 4 cups freshly grated coconut with 2 cups boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes, then drain through a double thick cheesecloth. Squeeze the cheesecloth several times to extract as much liquid as possible. Keep refrigerated.

*Bob's Red Mill makes Arrowroot Starch, but if you can't find it at your local grocer, substitute cornstarch in place.

Clean Strawberry Skillet Jam

I did a bad thing yesterday and left a colander full of fresh strawberries out all day and night. When I found them today they were pretty soft and starting to bruise in some spots. Not good enough to eat as is, passable in a smoothie but best in jam!

This skillet jam is a no-brainer. It doesn't take a large amount of fruit and takes no time at all to cook up a batch. Spoon it over toast, scones, or my favourite way, over top of ice cream.

The strawberries are so sweet on their own that a whole lot of added sugar isn't necessary. The apricot preserves add extra sweetness as well as act as a thickening agent. The vanilla is optional but it adds such great flavour and makes your kitchen smell fabulous. You don't want to skip the vanilla!

Yields about 1 1/2 cups

2 cups small diced strawberries
1 tbsp sucanat
1 tbsp low-cal apricot preserves
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Add diced strawberries to a saucepan. Using a potato masher or the back of a spoon, gently mash the strawberries a little bit to extract some juice.Add the sucanat and apricot preserves and stir well.

2. Cook mixture over medium-high heat, stirring often. When a liquid consistency is reached, add vanilla extract. Continue to mash up any large pieces using the back of a spoon or a small masher. Bring to a low boil and continue cooking jam for about 10 minutes until syrup thickens.



3. Remove from heat and let cool. It will continue to thicken as it cools. If you prefer a smoother jam, use an immersion blender to puree mixture, or leave as is for a chunky, rustic texture. I did a half & half and pulsed my mixture with the immersion blender a couple times, but kept some chunks as well.

4. Spoon into a glass jar or other container with a tight fitting lid. Jam keeps in the refrigerator for a couple weeks, but it probably won't last that long!



For a different flavour combination, substitute another flavour of preserves in place of apricot. Blackberry would be fantastic!

Use it over vanilla ice cream. Trust me. :)

Crème Caramel

The other night I had a friend over for dinner and was feeling rather ambitious so less that half hour before she was due to arrive, I "whipped up" a batch of Crème Caramel. I've made it once before and I remember it being fairly easy. I found a recipe online and followed it exactly, except for using skim milk because that was all I had. It turned out great, although my caramel sauce could have been a little more caramelized. I got rather impatient. It takes quite a while for the sugar/water mixture to reduce then caramelize. Despite this, the Crème Caramel turned out well and tasted fabulous!

Recipe from Christine Cushing Live at FoodNetwork.ca

Crème Caramel:

Makes 6 individual custards or one large

Caramel:
2/3 cup sugar (150 ml)
1/3 cup water (75 ml)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine the water and sugar in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Gently stir to mix and start the sugar dissolving. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Tilt pan to ensure that sugar is dissolved. Do not stir the mixture once the heat is on or the sugar will crystallize. Increase heat to high and cook until sugar turns amber in colour. *WHEN IT SAYS DO NOT STIR, THEY MEAN IT. Once sugar mixture starts to boil, leave it alone. It will take at least 15 minutes for the sugar to start to caramelize. Be patient!

3. Pour liquid caramel into six 3-inch (6 ounce) ramekins, dividing equally and tilting ramekins to cover the bottoms with the caramel. Caramel will harden but don't worry, it's only temporary.

Custard:
2 cups milk
pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 egg yolk

1. Over medium heat, bring milk just to a boil in medium saucepan with salt and vanilla. Remove from heat and cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until dissolved.

2. Stir together eggs and egg yolk in a medium bowl until well blended. Slowly pour warm milk into egg mixture a little bit at a time, stirring continuously. Do not pour the milk in all at once or you risk scrambling your eggs! Ladle custard mixture into the awaiting ramekins.

3. Transfer ramekins to a baking pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in preheated oven until a tester comes out clean when inserted in the centers and the crème caramel jiggles as one, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove ramekins from bath. Let cool to room temperature.

4. When cooled, run a knife around the inside edge of each ramekin and invert each onto a serving plate. Tap bottom of ramekin and gently lift ramekin up, leaving the custard behind on the plate with caramel sauce covering the top and running down the sides! Pretty and yummy!

Double Berry Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb is in season and in abundance at all the local markets. I'm not sure how to use rhubarb other than to make a crisp, crumble or pie. If any of you have other ways to use fresh rhubarb, please let me know!

Double Berry Rhubarb Crisp

Inside
3-4 stalks fresh rhubarb, washed and cut into 3/4" slices
1lb carton of fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 cup sucanat
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp whole wheat flour

Topping
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sucanat
1 cup butter, melted

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Add all the inside ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish.

3. Mix all the topping ingredients in a small bowl until crumbly. Spoon over top of fruit mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle with more sucanat or sugar.

4. Bake in hot oven for 45 minutes until top is crisp and inside it hot and bubbling.

Serve warm with ice cream! Yum!

Caramel Apple Pie Burritos

The spirit of this recipe is courtesy of The Chef at Home, Michael Smith. I adapted the bones of the recipe to use less refined ingredients and swapped out the plain cinnamon for a delicious spice mix. I also vetoed the Dulce De Lech topping because I was kind of hoping to fit in my pants tomorrow. Changes and omissions aside, the results were utterly scrumptious.

Apple Pie Burritos:

Makes 2 large burritos, Serves 4

2 Granny Smith Apples, cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup apple juice
1/2 cup sucanat
1 tbsp Apple Pie Spice Mix (see below)
2 large whole wheat tortillas
1 tbsp butter, melted
Sprinkle of cinnamon & sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Put apples in a pot with the water. Bring to a boil then place lid on pot and let apples steam for 3-5 minutes to soften slightly.

3. Reduce heat and add 1/3 cup apple juice, sucanat and Apple Pie Spice Mix. Stir well.

4. Bring to a boil again, over medium heat. Stir well then reduce heat to low and simmer until the apples are fork tender and the caramel sauce is thickened and sticky, about 10 minutes. Ensure the caramel sauce does not burn.

4. When apples are cooked, microwave the tortillas for 30 seconds to soften. Lay tortillas on a flat surface and spoon half the apple mixture into the centre of each tortilla. Fold in the sides of the tortilla and then roll up the edges to form a tight burrito.

5. Place burritos on the baking sheet seam side down. Lightly brush the tops of the burritos with melted butter and sprinkle with a dusting of cinnamon and sugar. (See tip below).

6. Place in the oven and bake until crispy and golden, about 15 minutes.

7. Cut burritos in half and place each half on a plate. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of caramel dessert topping.

Tip: Instead of sprinkling plain old cinnamon & sugar over your burritos, try the new sugar grinders from President's Choice. I used the Sugar, Chocolate & Cinnamon Blend. There is also a Sugar & Vanilla Blend.

Apple Pie Spice Mix:

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of ground cloves

1. Add everything to a Mason jar. Screw on lid and shake well to mix. Use within six months.

(I use my Apple Pie Spice sprinkled over yogurt, oatmeal and ice cream. Or be really original and use it in an apple pie or other baked good!)

Homemade Frozen Yogurt

This is homemade frozen yogurt WITHOUT an ice cream maker. Yes, it can be done!

A few years ago I bought a fabulous Magic Bullet blender and I have been making my own version of frozen yogurt ever since. I usually make up a batch at the start of the week and keep it on hand for quick, healthy desserts and evening snacks. Out of curiosity I Google'd recipes for homemade frozen yogurt and found that most of them contain an enormous amount of added sugar. One i looked at called for 1 cup icing sugar for only 1 cup of yogurt. Many recipes called for gelatin, evaporated milk and even eggs. Why? Yogurt freezes well and quickly without the need for added stabilizers and frozen berries contain such a high amount of natural sugar it seems redundant to add much more. Try it and you will see!

Serves 3-4

1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup frozen berries (I used raspberries this time)
1 tbsp agave syrup
2 tbsp coconut water (optional)

1. Add everything to a blender and pulse until berries are pureed and the mixture is smooth.

2. Pour into a glass bowl that has a tight fitting lid. Tap on counter top to get all the air out of the bottom and evenly spread mixture.

3. Cover and place in freezer for 1-2 hours or until frozen.

4. When ready to serve, remove from freezer and set on counter for 10-15 minutes. Scoop into bowls and enjoy!

Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes

A new partner joined my team at work this week. As a welcome present, I wanted to make cupcakes. The only concern was that my team has been eating cake almost every shift for the past couple weeks; Between birthdays, goodbyes and St. Patrick's day, we definitely got our fill of sweets. While flipping through some of my old Clean Eating magazines, I came across this recipe for "clean" chocolate cupcakes. The cupcakes were quick and easy to make, despite having to whip and fold in egg whites. I made a few small changes because the first time I made these according to the recipe, I found them a bit dry. The recipe says you will yield 12 but I ended up with 18, albeit small, cupcakes.


Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes

Slightly modified from original recipe.

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sucanat plus 1/4 cup sucanat, divided
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites
Fresh REAL whipped cream, for topping
Fresh raspberries for garnish

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper or silicone cupcake liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine cocoa powder, 1 cup sucanat, flour, salt and baking soda.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, oil, vanilla and a whole egg.

4. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour into wet ingredients. Stir well to combine. Batter will be thick and somewhat lumpy.

5. Add egg whites to a large, clean, dry mixing bowl. Whip whites with a hand mixer on low speed until they begin to get foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup of sucanat to the whites. Continue whipping whites until medium-stiff peaks form.

6. Fold whites into cake batter using a rubber spatula. The directions say to fold them "gently but assertively". I'm not sure what that means, so I just folded them in gently until they were combined.

7. Fill each of 12 cupcake liners until 3/4 full. Tap bottom of the filled muffin pan on the counter top. Transfer immediately to the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cupcake comes out clean. The recipe called for baking the cakes for 45 minutes. I found this too long. Start checking when you reach 30 minutes to be safe.

8. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

9. Once cooled, spread a thin layer of Cool Whip over top of each muffin and garnish with a fresh berry. In the magazine, the cupcakes are topped with a simple choclate ganache made of chopped bittersweet chocolate and a coupe teaspoons of milk. I wanted something a little more simple so I opted for Cool Whip. If you want to be even fancier, when very chilled, Cool Whip works well in a piping bag. That's how I ended up decorating the cupcakes I took to work.

Avatarts (aka: Pudding Tarts)

Every year my family holds an Oscar party. We all get together to eat appies, play movie trivia and watch the Oscars together. Last year we started "themed" appies; making our appetizers themed to some of the nominated movies and actors. We are going with themed appies again this year, but the theme has to be one of the ten best picture nominees.

My first submission is Avatarts (for Avatar).

The recipe is poached from a Kraft Foods Jell-O Pudding Pie recipe. My cousin affectionately calls this "White Trash Pie" because it is so ridiculously easy and cheap to throw together. Normally you would use a pre-made graham or oreo cookie pie crust but since I am making tarts, I used frozen sweet tart shells, baked them according to package directions, then filled them with the pudding mix. Still very simple and fun!



The recipe for Jell-O Pudding Pie is here. I didn't follow the recipe quite to spec. I made TWO packets of vanilla pudding, according to package directions then added SIXTY drops of blue food colouring. I started with thirty but after adding the Cool Whip, the colour faded quite a bit so I had to add more colour. Next time I might try gel colour pastes. I added 1/2 the container of Cool Whip to the pudding and mixed it all together, rather than layering it into the tart shells. Then I spooned it all into a decorator bag fitted with a wide tip and filled the tart shells.

Quick, fun, easy and I'm sure kids will love the quirky colouring!