As 2010 comes to a close, I know that so much of what made the year good for me was you–readers and other bloggers–who have stopped by to read this blog and have left your wonderful comments, suggestions, and continued support through it all. As I’ve said before, I’d have no reason to keep coming back here without all of you!
I wish each and every one of you a happy, healthy year coming up. May you find joy in everyday activities, regularly take time to relax and renew, reach (at least some of ) your goals, enjoy time with loved ones, and (can’t forget this one on a food blog) eat well!
(“That’s right, Mum, you can never forget eating well!”)
[You have blown me away with all your responses to my call for recipe testers--thanks to everyone who sent emails! I'll be taking names/email addresses until early next week, so if you're interested, please send an email to dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom with the subject line, "BREAKFAST TESTER." I'll get back to everyone later in the week!]
As I mentioned in my last post, the HH and I munched on some eggplant “bacon” with our Christmas Day brunch pancakes. Yep, another veggie-based faux meat from DDD! First it was beet pepperoni (or, as River dubbed it, “beetaroni”); then cauliflower meat crumbles, and now, bacon. What’s up with that?
I suppose it’s kind of ironic that the daughter of a butcher doesn’t eat meat. And isn’t it ironic that, considering I don’t eat meat, I have so many faux meats on this blog? It’s like I’m destined to create vegan counterparts to the items my dad sold in his work life. Ironic! It’s like my genetic makeup has preordained that my kitchen adventures would be intertwined with meats of some sort or another. It’s like–
It’s like rain, on your wedding day. A free ride, when you’ve already paid. It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take. . . and who would’ve thought–
(Oh, sorry, a different kind of irony, there. And hey, congrats on the new arrival, Ms. M)–
–It figures.
Maybe it’s the fact that at almost every meal, the HH whines about the lack of meat. Maybe it’s that our society has ingrained the concept of a savory, smoky, succulent serving of food alongside every grain, breakfast item or mashed tuber. Maybe it’s my competitive streak and I’m attempting to out-Bourdain Bourdain.
Or, maybe, I just like playing with my veggies.
Whatever the reason, I knew I had to try this as soon as I read about eggplant bacon in my new cookbook, Raw Food for Everyone by Alissa Cohen. Cohen’s version adds but 3 ingredients to the eggplant (liquid aminos, agave and cayenne) and is dehydrated for 12-15 hours. I wanted more complexity to enhance the naturally meaty taste and texture of eggplant. I knew I’d be too impatient to wait the full dehydrator time (even though my oven has a digital display that can be set at 115F) and so I just baked the strips in the oven at 325F. It took a while but in the end, I had crispy, crunchy “bacon.”
These strips were a perfect accompaniment to the light, fluffy pancakes and sweet plum sauce at our brunch. The HH enjoyed them just as much as I did, in fact, and ended up eating more than half the batch. Rather ironic, I’d say.
And in the “I-Am-So-Excited-I-Am-Doing-a-Happy-Dance-Right-Here-at-My-Computer” Department: DDD has just been named a finalist in the Canadian Food Blog Awards! You can check out all the finalists here. And thank you, all, once again for nominating my blog for the award, and for reading! You are the BEST!
Eggplant “Bacon” (suitable for ACD Stage 1 and beyond)
Diet, Dessert and Dogs (http://dietdessertndogs.com)
These strips would work really well on a pizza or other savory dish (such as an “ELT” sandwich–yum!). The slow-cook method allows the strips to dry out just enough that they retain a bit of chewiness in the center and crisp up on the edges. If you’ve got more time, try cooking them longer, but at an even lower temperature to maintain an even crispness throughout.
1 medium eggplant, peeled and then cut in rectangular strips about 1/8″ (3 mm) thick (cut them the full length of the eggplant)
1/4 tsp (1 ml) garlic powder (be sure it’s not garlic salt, or the strips will be mega-salty!)
5-10 drops stevia liquid, to your taste
1 Tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
1 Tbsp (15 ml) minced red onion (or grate it on the smallest holes of a box grater)
Preheat oven to 325F (165C). Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment.
In a square glass pan, mix together the Bragg’s, paprika, garlic powder, stevia, oil, water and onion; whisk well to create a marinade. Lay the strips in the marinade, turning each one over once to coat on both sides. Allow to sit at least 20 minutes or up to an hour, turning the stips over once or twice.
Remove the strips from the marinade (you will have some liquid left in the pan–hold on to it for later) and lay them in a single layer on the parchment. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from pan and brush with any extra marinade. Return to the oven for another 25 minutes; remove from the pan, turn the strips over, and brush with any leftover marinade (you will have enough marinade for 3-4 brushings).
Repeat the cycle once more (a total of 25-50 more minutes), watching the strips carefully so that they become crisp and browned without burning. If some of the strips begin to brown too much, remove them from the cookie sheet and continue to bake the others until they are all ready. (Note: the crinkly appearance of the “bacon” in my photo is the result of baking on the parchment after it became wet from the marinade and crinkled that way–it was just lucky those ridges happen to resemble actual bacon!). Makes 2-3 servings. Best eaten immediately.
How’s that for a long blog post title? (I seem to be getting more and more loquacious these days. I mean, what is it about selecting a gargantuan word when a diminutive one will do?–oooops, there I go again. . . .).
Along with more ice and snow, resolve to lose weight, a greens cleanse (more on that anon), an ACD update post (coming up on two years on this diet!), new recipes and a two-month holiday from the college where I teach (whoo hoooo!), January also brings with it the following:
An update of my blog’s Recipe Index (happy to report we are already making progress in that area!)
Renewed testing for my next anti-candida cookbook!
And I could use your help with each of them!
Do you have a blog?
If you write a blog or website that falls into any of the categories listed in my blog post title–or if you think your blog is similar to mine–please leave a comment on this post with your blog’s name and a link to the main page so I can add it to my blogroll! You must post regularly (at least once a week) to be considered. I’ll include any blogs that fit the categories.
Do You Eat Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, or Would You Like To?
If you’re a DDD reader who would like to test sugar free, gluten free, vegan recipes from my upcoming cookbook, please let me know (you don’t need to have a blog for this)! I put out a call for testers a few months back, but then progress on the Breakfast and Brunch ebook was stalled along the way. While I’m hoping my confirmed testers are still on board (hey guys!), if you’d like to join the group as well, please send me an email to dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom with the subject line “BREAKFAST TESTER.” I’ll send along the updated info asap.
Thanks, all! Stay tuned for the eggplant bacon recipe coming up!
[What I should have made for our Christmas dinner this year. . . . ]
What. . . is it December 27th, already?? Hope you’ve all had a wonderful holiday season so far! I must confess, the last few days have been among the laziest of my life. And you know what? It felt great!
So what have the HH, the Girls and I been up to since I last visited this space? Here’s a quick recap:
The Girls Express their Annoyance. The Girls posed for their 2010 Christmas card, and if all your comments are any indication, they clearly seemed peeved at having to don those costumes. Let’s just say I’ll never be another William Wegman. (“Mum, we weren’t annoyed so much as impatient. . . for our presents! Thanks for those treats we got! And can we have more of that white stuff? Oh, and who is that handsome Weimeraner in that photo?!”).
Start the Day Off Right. After sleeping in until we awoke naturally sans alarm, the HH and I bounded out of bed to open our gifts. And while they were polite enough not to disturb us while we slept, the Girls were certainly lively enough as soon as they confirmed we were awake:
["Elsie, play with me or I will eat you!"]
So, while the HH took the dogs for a trail walk, I set about making a hearty brunch to tide us over until dinnertime:
[These fabulous pancakes, topped with homemade sweet almond-coconut butter and plum sauces, with eggplant bacon (recipe coming soon).]
Best to Stick with Tradition, Even if It’s Non-Traditional. Those of you who’ve been reading DDD for a while will likely recall that our regular holiday tradition for the past few years has been an Indian feast, often shared with the CFO. Well, when my sister couldn’t make it this year, the HH proclaimed, “I want something traditional! I want TURKEY!”.
Regular readers will also know that the HH eats, well, everything. And as long as he prepares his own food, I don’t attempt to influence what he consumes. So off we went to get an organic turkey for him to cook. While he roasted his turkey, I prepared my new recipe for a holiday nutroast.
By 7:00 PM, dinner was finally served. Here’s my plate:
As I said, I shouldn’t have messed with our (non-traditional) tradition. While tasty enough, my nut roast was not what I’d call a success. I do have an inkling of how to improve it and will share as soon as I give it a try.
Turkey =Doggie Crack. The Girls, on the other hand, devoured their turkey scraps in no short order. This was the first time Chaser ever tasted turkey, and let me tell you, the crazed look it sparked in her eye was even more frenzied than usual. I got the stare pretty much the rest of the day.
[What was that white stuff, Mum? And can I please have some more?"]
And Elsie wasn’t immune, either:
[I've just got to be patient, and I'm sure there will be more turkey forthcoming. . . . "]
It’s Good to Chillax. I think that last week of school, frantic prepping for Christmas, buying a new car (so that the HH can have my old car, since his was totalled) and various and sundry other errands has wiped a goodly portion of my mind clean, sort of the way reformatting clears out your hard drive. I’ve felt pretty much incapable of any sustained thought or activity since Christmas morning, wandering around the past few days in a bit of a haze (albeit with a semi smile on my face and a very full belly), without much to say in this space. The HH is off work until the first week of January, so we’ll be spending quite a bit of time together.
["Life is so rough when you're waiting for turkey. . . *sigh*."]
Yesterday morning, for instance, the HH and I (after sleeping in yet again), spent most of the AM reading the entire newspaper, front to back, for the first time in months.
[The HH's coffee cup, and the news: freak east coast snowstorms and Boxing Day Deals.]
Then we proceeded to clean up the detritus from our Christmas dinner:
[The HH's wine glass, the morning after. Sadly, no wine for me this year. Damn you, ACD!]
We sat by the fireplace, sipped on coffee/matcha tea and listened to music (including my new Pink CD, a gift from the HH):
[On the left: my matcha tea. On the right: the HH's wine glass. . . afternoon incarnation.]
I also went to see How Do You Knowwith my friend Eternal Optimist yesterday afternoon (we had planned on The King’s Speech, but they were sold out; still, Reese Witherspoon is always winsome, and that Paul Rudd is such a cutie).
And now, after even more lounging about today, I finally feel ready to leap back in to cooking and blogging about recipes.
["Elsie, do you think we'll get any more turkey?"]
Sorry to say I won’t be sharing that nut roast recipe just yet.
In the meantime, here’s the recipe for the African Sweet Potato Stew I mentioned in this post, which some of you asked about. It’s a tried-and-true success that I’ve made many times in the past. It’s hearty, filling, with chunks of sweet potato and chickpeas bathed in a rich, creamy coconut milk gravy that’s infused with a variety of spices and the mineral-rich addition of collards.
Perhaps I should add it to the menu for next year’s Christmas feast.
The list of ingredients does seem long, but so much of this is spice that the actual prep time isn’t as much as you’d think. The recipe makes a huge vat of stew, so you can package and freeze it for later consumption, too.
1 Tbsp (15 ml) coconut or extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1 large onion, chopped
1 thumb-size piece ginger, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, chipped
1/2 cup (120 ml) cilantro leaves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, minced (or use 1/2 tsp/1.5 ml chili flakes)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 ml) whole mustard seeds, brown or yellow
2 tsp (10 ml) ground coriander
1 tsp (5 ml) ground turmeric
1 tsp (5 ml) paprika
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cayenne pepper
1 large can (19 oz or 500 ml) diced tomatoes, drained (reserve the juice)
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
2-3 medium white potatoes, chopped into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1 can (12 oz or 400 ml) coconut milk
1/3 cup (80 ml) natural smooth almond or peanut butter (use almond for ACD)
1 pound (500 g) collard greens, midribs removed and shredded
2 cups (480 ml) cooked chickpeas
Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat; add the onion, ginger, garlic and cilantro and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the red pepper, jalapeno, cumin, mustard seeds, corinder, trumeric, paprika and cayenne and cook a couple more minutes. Add the tomatoes, sweet potatoes, potatoes and coconut milk; cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.
Place the almond butter in a small bowl or glass measuring cup and scoop about 1/2 cup of the liquid from the stew, adding it to the nut butter; mix well, until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pot and blend it in. Add the collards and chickpeas and continue to cook until the greens are soft, another 5-10 minutes. If the sauce is too thin, allow to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness is reached. Serve over rice or cooked quinoa. Makes 6-8 servings. May be frozen.
To all who celebrate, wishing you a very Merry Christmas, and a happy, happy holidays to all! Here’s to days of fun and relaxation, time surrounded by loving family and friends, great food and treats, and all the gifts you dream of.
“Mum, you know we’d never be doing this if not for the “treats” part, right? But that’s okay, because I LOVE the treats part! Oh, and the presents! And the playing catch in the snow!! But maybe I could take off this Santa hat first. . . and oooh, this Santa collar is kind of itching me a little bit. . . ”
“Chaser, what do you have to complain about? Look at the getup she’s got ME wearing this year! Just zip it–or we’ll never get out of these darned costumes. . . *sigh*. “
With all of my 175 students’ assignments, exams and final marks finally submitted–I am now officially on holidays until 2011–whoo hoo! That makes me one very celebratory gal. Par-tay, I say!
And how about having everything all ready to start cooking my big holiday meal?
Um, no. (Insert sheepish expression here).
“Mum, did you say, ‘sheep?’ I’m half border collie, you know. And just being off-leash at the trail is enough of a party for me!”
In an ideal world, I would not only know exactly which dishes I’m cooking, but would have prepared an entire rehearsal Christmas dinner already, expressly for the purpose of photographing and writing about it for this blog (excuse me while I guffaw).
For the past two years, the HH and I have shared an Indian feast at Christmastime with the CFO, who’s made the trek from Montreal. The CFO isn’t able to join us this year, and I have a feeling that the multi-course Indian buffet will also make itself scarce, at least for this year.
I do have a couple of great ideas for potential dishes I’ve been wanting to try (and about which I’ll post, post-holidays.) But what with the HH’s accident; frenzied shopping for a new car; a fire at the campus where I teach resulting in only TWO days to mark all my students’ exams and submit them; a last-minute invitation to appear on a local daytime TV show (which happened this very morning)–I haven’t yet decided exactly what we’ll be eating at the festive table. Throw in a couple of doctor’s appointments, a visit to the vet, a haircut and typical holiday-time social activities, and there has been precious little time to cook.
If you’re like me and still thinking about what to prepare, I thought I’d share this list of some of my favorite holiday-worthy recipes (many of these are not yet listed in the Recipe Index–updating it is one of my new year’s projects!).
All are ACD-friendly recipes (ie, gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, egg free, low glycemic) unless otherwise specified.
And to everyone who’s celebrating this time of year: have a wonderful holiday season!
Sometimes with food, you experience the same coup de foudre as love at first sight. You might spy a mille-feuille (aka Napoleon or custard slice) in the glass pastry case and know just by looking that you’d relish those myriad strata of light, flaky pastry, cool, smooth custard sandwiched between them. Perhaps you were invited for dinner and noticed a saucepan of chana masala simmering on the stove, saffron and cardamon and cayenne dancing in the bubbles that rise gently to the surface, and you knew you’d be smitten. Or maybe the first time you encounter authentic mole, its rich bitter undertones mingling with spicy heat as you inhale its exotic aroma, you know that the warmth on your tongue, the combination of slow-cooked tomato and chilies will send you into paroxysms of gastronomic ecstasy. You want to marry that mole.
Sometimes, you just know.
I’ve had a love affair with eggnog from the first time I caught a whiff of that eggy, nutmeg-dusted scent when I was about seven, as my older sister poured herself a glass of the golden elixir; I knew before I even tasted it. Cartons of the stuff would appear at holiday time, and we were lucky if one lasted a day in our house. Once I moved out on my own, I attempted eggnog from scratch–once. The ethereal combination of cream, egg and bourbon confirmed for me how much I loved it. Even once I eschewed eggs and dairy, I turned to Holly Nog (good) or Noel Nog (superlative) and didn’t for a second miss the “real” thing (adding a shot of bourbon helped, too).
Ever since I began the ACD in March, 2009, there has been no nog in our house. No dairy-based. No soy-based. Nothing. With no sweeteners (except stevia), no fruit, no eggs, and certainly no bourbon, there was no way I could have even a sip of the stuff.
This year, my former love and I have been reunited. After considering severalothervariations, I used my noggin (well, really, you knew that was coming) and came up with a batch of this ACD-friendly (for those past the first phase of the diet) libation. I think it’s pretty darned close to the nog of my youth. Upon taking a sip, the HH even remarked, “Wow, that tastes like the real thing. In fact, the only thing it’s missing is the booze.” (Sorry, sweetheart.)
For those of you following a sugar-free diet, or a dairy-free, egg-free diet, or a gluten-free diet, or (sniff, boo hoo) an alcohol-free diet, this is the nog for you.
Sugar Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Gluten Free “Eggnog” (suitable for ACD Phase II and beyond)
I used pear to augment the sweetness in this drink without adding a discernible “fruity” flavor. And since I had such great success using raw cashews to enrich my Chai Carob Latte a while back, I opted to use those again in this recipe. The combination of flavors really does work to replicate the traditional drink fairly well. And if you’re able to add a splash of bourbon to yours, so much the better!
Per serving:
1/4 ripe pear, cored (no need to peel)
1 cup unsweetened plain or vanilla rice, almond or soymilk*
2 tsp (10 ml) lucuma powder (optional, but highly recommended)
2 heaping Tbsp (35-40 ml) raw cashews
1 tsp (5 ml) chia seeds**
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 ml) nutmeg
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp (1 ml) rum flavoring (optional)
8-12 drops plain or vanilla stevia liquid, to your taste
up to one ounce (30 ml) bourbon or rum, if desired/permitted
Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender** and blend until perfectly smooth. Refrigerate until ice cold, at least an hour (this will also help it to thicken up considerably). To serve, whisk once more and top with a sprinkling of cinnamon; serve immediately.
*if you use soymilk, the recipe is, obviously, no longer soy-free.
** if you don’t have a high-powered blender, grind the seeds to a fine powder first, in a coffee grinder.
I’m also submitting this recipe to Amy’s weekly Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. . . so many healthier holiday-themed recipes to check out!
*no, of course it’s not dairy butter, silly! The “butter” comes from “butterscotch,” which is what these babies taste like to me. I could have called them “berryscotch,” but that sounded too much like an alcoholic beverage.
Two posts in one day–am I mad?? No, just behind on my posting (as usual)–and I really, really wanted to tell you about A Gluten Free Holiday VI earlier today. So think of this as “Part II” of that post.
The holiday season is definitely upon us. Twitter is all a-twitter with messages about holiday shopping, tree decorating, and cookie baking. Blogs highlight amazing holiday meals and gift lists. The snow is making its inexorable journey to earth (wah, boo hoo), the temperatures are plummeting (sob, boo hoo HOO), and the general aura of holiday madness has permeated kitchens, living rooms, department stores and online retailers alike.
And what do I want more than anything at this time of year?
Take time to reflect and plan for the upcoming new year? (if I can find the time).
“Yes,” to all of the above. . . but that’s only a part of the answer. More than anything at this time of year, this gal’s mind turns to. . . . food!
When I think, “holiday,” my mind is flooded with childhood memories of the holiday season in our home. Mom clad in her pink polka-dot apron, cheerfully standing by the stove stirring mysterious vats of bubbling sauces or soups. And later in the day, still stirring. And then later, some mixing and some rolling. . . some cookie-cutting and some baking–not so cheerful now–and more stirring. . . . on her feet all day, wiping the sweat from her brow as she endures the rising steam and her ankles begin to swell to the size of wine barrels. . . .not having time to actually join us at the table as she weaves in and out of the kitchen, proffering platters of holiday fare to the rest of us at the table.
Oh, and the distinctive aroma of chicken grease and charred edges of kugel wafting across the room, Mom racing to get it out of the oven before it is completely ruined. A chaotic race to set the table, waiting to the last minute so there’s no time to iron the linen tablecloth or check the glasses for waterstains before the rest of the family arrives. My sisters and I arguing over who gets the last pickle, or who geos the biggest piece of chicken, or who gets the end piece of the casserole; and really arguing over who gets the most icing on their slice of cake. Eating too much, drinking too much eggnog, gorging on the six plates of cookies, cake, and chocolate, pigging out on all the foods that we’re never allowed to eat any other time of year–then plopping onto my parents’ bed to watch TV (theirs was the only room with a television), stomachs gurgling and heaving as we suppress the urge to upchuck it all and relieve the agony that is the holiday meal. . . .
Ah, yes, the holidays. Nothing like those childhood memories!
Obviously, I’ve learned a thing or two about eating since then. Miraculously, and even with our dysfunctional holidays, I never lost my love of throwing a big holiday dinner–including those desserts at the end of it. Of course, these days my confections are vegan, gluten free, sugar free, and (mostly) organic and whole-foods based. But you know what? I think that I cherish them even more precisely for that reason.
These bars are a cross between a cake and a blondie–hence the name “cake bars.” They’re light and tender, and the flavor is reminiscent of butterscotch. I’ve now made them on three separate occasions: first, with cranberries, then raspberries, and this time, blueberries. All were terrific. ”This tastes like a regular cake,” the HH remarked–his highest form of compliment.
If you’re looking for a dessert that’s a bit less indulgent than all the other offerings over the holidays yet still satisfying to your sweet tooth, this is the recipe for you. The bars make a great, light finish to an otherwise over-the-top holiday meal. Oh, and they just happen to be vegan, gluten free and low glycemic.
These are my contribution to A Gluten Free Holiday VI: Desserts, hosted this week by Amy–the brains behind the whole event! Amy made a decadent Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake. To see her recipe and to enter to win one of SIX autographed cookbooks, check out Amy’s post.
If you’d like to check out all of the “A Gluten Free Holiday” posts, here’s the lineup:
Use whichever berries you have on hand, or throw in some chocolate chips if you’re okay with those. I like cranberries for a totally festive option, but any combination of blueberry, cranberry, raspberry or strawberry would work. The ingredient list may look long, but this comes together very easily–it’s all blended in the food processor. Have no fear!–you won’t be sorry!
1 pear, cored (no need to peel)
1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut or palm sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) natural smooth hazelnut butter (this contributes to the butterscotch flavor, but you could use cashew, almond, or sunflower instead)
3 Tbsp (45 ml) sesame tahini
2 Tbsp (30 ml) sunflower or other light-tasting oil, preferably organic
2 Tbsp (30 ml) finely ground flax seeds
1/4 cup (60 ml) unsweetened plain or vanilla rice, soy or almond milk
2 tsp (10 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp (1 ml) rum or butterscotch extract, optional
15-20 drops plain or vanilla liquid stevia, to your taste
1/3 cup (80 ml) light buckwheat flour
2 Tbsp (30 ml) coconut flour
2 Tbsp (30 ml) lucuma powder (or use more buckwheat flour, or carob)
3/4 tsp (7.5 ml) xanthan gum
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking soda
1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, blueberries, raspberries or a combination
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line an 8-1/2 inch (22 cm) square pan with parchment, or spray with nonstick spray.
Purée the pear in the food processor until smooth; you should have about 1/2 cup (120 ml) purée. Add the coconut sugar, hazelnut butter, tahini, oil, flaxseeds, milk, lemon juice, vanilla, rum extract and stevia and blend until smooth. Set aside while you measure the dry ingredients, or at least 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl, sift together the buckwheat flour, coconut flour, lucuma powder (if using), xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the liquid mixture from the processor and stir to blend well (it will be very thick–too thick to pour). Gently mix in the berries as best as you can.
Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan (it may take a bit of work) and bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through, until puffed on top, golden brown and a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares. Makes 20-25 bars. May be frozen.
Before I get to today’s post, I wanted to thank everyone for your comments on yesterday’s “What I Eat” post. I am really loving the conversation that’s going on–please add your own two cents!
Can you believe it’s the last installment in the “A Gluten Free Holiday” series? It’s been great fun being part of the event that Amy dreamt up a few months ago. To wrap up the event, Amy is hosting this week, and focusing on desserts (pre-exam rush prevented me from adding my recipe to this post–I’ll post it this afternoon, though, I promise!). And she’s giving away a total of SIX cookbooks--and you’ll be getting pre-release copies, too!
So hop over to Amy’s blog to see her recipe for Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake, link up a holiday dessert recipe (or simply leave a comment) to enter the giveaway, and check out all the other delicious desserts while you’re there, too!
Then check back later today for my dessert recipe. Here’s what’s in store:
See you later on for some grain free, gluten free, vegan, sugar free dessert! [Update: It's posted! You can get the recipe here. ]
[The main course table from my recent holiday potluck with nutritionist friends, clockwise from top left: [out of the photo--Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts]; Southwest Brown Rice Casserole with Beans [white bowl behind cutlery]; Tempeh-Brown Rice Curry and Vegetables; Baby Spinach Salad; Rutabaga Gratin; Cinque Pizza with olives, green pepper, faux meat and onion; and (in red casserole in center) Carrot and Sweet Potato Latkes. The latkes were fried–I have no idea what kind of oil she used. Yes, I ate one.]
In recent years, it seems, we’ve all become hyper aware of the connection between food and health; it’s one of the hottest topics on the internet, twitter, blogs, or in magazines; you can’t read anything, flick on the television or listen to the radio without someone discussing a new study or mentioning a specific food and how it is or is not good for us. Goji berries? Superfood. Kale? Will save your eyes. Sugar? The devil. Trans fats? Avoid at all costs. Refined flours? Shortcut to a heart attack. And so on. How do you decide what to eat?
Well, I had originally planned to tackle this rather amorphous topic in the new year, once we’d all recovered a bit from the holidays and I had more time to craft a thoughtful post about it (since I’ll be on vacation then–whoo hoo!). Instead, I’m going to leap right in today after receiving the following comment on the Simply Bar giveaway post (the first part in quotation marks is what I wrote in the original post itself):
“In addition, the company has prided itself on using real, natural ingredients, without any added fillers in their bars. For example, the “Cocoa with Raspberry” flavor contains soy crisps (like rice crisps in texture and taste), organic agave nectar, organic brown rice syrup, organic cocoa, raspberries, organic canola oil.” Six ingredients–that’s it!”
SOY CRISPS! has the world gone mad? I appreciate that these bars only have a few ingredients in them, but they are a few, highly processed ingredients.
Soy crisps – a bean that is only truly digestible when fermented, is processed into a crisp?
Canola oil – oil that is high in inflammation promoting omega 6, processed from rapeseeds and should only be eaten raw.
Agave syrup – the sugars of the agave cactus without the natural brake of fibre, controversy rages about whether it is low or high GI.
Brown Rice syrup – sugars inherent in rice – highly processed, super high GI, even though it’s brown rice!
Only six ingredients? Whatever happened to the good old nut and fruit bars of my childhood made entirely from nuts and dried fruit? I’d rather have a bar of dark chocolate than one of these!
Since I not only promoted the bar on my blog but actually eat them, I felt a response was in order (and I will respond to the email itself toward the end of the post).
First, let me outline how I decide what to eat and what not to eat; here, then, are the principles I follow and firmly believe in when it comes to “eating healthfully.” (This is not a post about how to keep to a healthy diet over the holidays; I dealt with that subject here. )
[African Sweet Potato Stew--pretty darned good for you.]
I. Aim for a Diet That’s 100% “Good-for-You”. . . .
More than anything else about food, I believe that we are, literally, made up of what we put into our mouths, whether food, drink, or breath. Whether fresh or rancid, pesticide-laden or organic, whole grain or refined, local or imported, dirt-still-clinging-to-its-roots or packed in a BPA-lined bag inside a box, food will contribute to the makeup of every cell in your body.
In nutrition school, we learned about a diet called NAG–Natural, Alive, and Good Quality. I wrote more about it in this post. Basically, the diet aims to include only real, whole, unprocessed and organic ingredients, with most (if not all) nutrition coming from plant sources. Lucky for me, I love healthy foods (I also happen to love unhealthy foods–but that’s a topic for another post).
My own tweaks to the NAG foundation were made because of the anti-candida diet I now follow (about which I wrote more here and here), and include, for the most part: no sugar (and most other sweeteners), no sweet fruits; nothing fermented (with a few exceptions); nothing moldy or yeasty (mushrooms, nutritional yeast, alcoholic beverages, many nuts and some fruits, etc); nothing highly processed (packaged or most canned goods); no gluten; very few legumes; no eggs or dairy. (The ACD typcially allows organic chicken, beef and fish, but I don’t eat those.) I include tofu occasionally, which is considered “acceptable” in about half the anti-candida diets out there (there is quite a bit of variation about what is included in the diet).
With the ACD, you will ideally re-introduce many of the banned foods after you’ve been following it for a while and are feeling better. For instance, now that I’ve been on the diet for over two years and am 90% better, I am eating some fruits, using (gluten free) flours, and consuming the very occasional treat with agave nectar or coconut sugar.
About my own eating habits, let me be clear: during the first couple of phases of the ACD, I followed the diet one hundred percent, 100% of the time–I never “cheated.” That’s because I was in great distress about my poor health and wanted to heal as quickly as possible. However, as one of our teachers at nutrition school remarked, even following the ACD “most of the time” will, eventually, lead to diminished yeast in the body and better health; it will just take longer.
[This would definitely be a rare treat. . . even if I weren't on the ACD. Cake recipe in Sweet Freedom; frosting here.]
II. . . .90% of the Time.
Just as highschool graduates might send their first applications to Ivy League schools; as aspiring editors aim to nab a spot at a ”big house” like Farrar, Straus and Giroux; or as newly-graduated life coaches dreams of being on Oprah, when it comes to eating, I believe we should endeavor to eat only the best quality, healthiest foods. But what happens when the grad isn’t accepted by Harvard or Yale; if the young editor is offered a job at Harlequin; or the life coach lands a local radio spot instead? Do they decline the lesser offer, or worse–give up entirely? Of course not.
In an ideal universe, I’d be eating a top-notch, 100% “perfect” diet all the time. My meals would be 70% raw, all organic, as close as possible to the condition they’re in when they’re plucked from the ground, and entirely unprocessed–things like this, or this, or this. While I may have lofty ideals when it comes to food and eating, I understand that reality doesn’t always comply. Consequently, I try not to beat myself up if I can’t achieve that ideal. If I can remain compliant 90% of the time, I’m okay with having something less than perfect the other 10%. (Certainly, there are otherfoodbloggers out there who manage such menus far more often–and more consistently–than I).
For example, I’ve mentioned before that the HH enjoys eating in restaurants, and we still frequent them occasionally. I’ve found a couple of places that actually serve ACD-friendly food (at one, ”Israeli Salad” consisting of fresh cucumber, tomato and onion with olive oil and lemon juice alongside hummus; at the other, gluten free pizza crust with toppings of my choice, usually roasted garlic, baked tomato, red onion, spinach and black olives). As a result, we tend to patronize either of those most of the time.
Once a month, though, we head to a Malaysian restaurant I adore. They’re willing to provide vegan options and also hold the sugar at my request. Great! But I am fairly certain that they don’t grease their woks with organic coconut oil (or anything organic, for that matter); and I am not willing to stress about this. If I consume a small quantity of less-than-healthy oil once a month, I rely on the remaining 90% of my uber-healthy diet to compensate; it’s worth it to me to be able to enjoy the rest of the meal.
For the past couple of years, I’ve been rediscovering books by Geneen Roth and am devoted to her intuitive approach to eating–letting your body determine when, what and how much you eat. The woman has effectively peeked into my psyche (and my pantry), and I relate to her ideas on food as psychological comfort, how food serves many other purposes besides nourishment, and how we can learn to enjoy eating in the most natural and instinctive fashion. I’m not entirely “there” yet when it comes to attending to my body’s messages, but I’m learning.
I had my first epiphany about listening to my body only about a month ago, when I first began to experiment with coconut sugar. Having baked only with stevia (and a miniscule amount of yacon or agave) until then, being able to use a one-for-one sugar replacement was thrilling. I went a little crazy in the kitchen, baking cookies, brownies, bars, muffins and whatever else I could think of. I also tasted them all. . . and then some. I probably ate more baked goods in that week than I had in the previous six months. If that episode had occurred two years ago, it would likely have spiralled into an endless round of sweet binges, fuelled by sugar and guilt and the rationalization that “it’s the holidays.”
Instead, something odd occurred: I suddenly didn’t feel like eating so many sweets any more. My body said, “Give me kale! Give me black bean soup! Give me cinque e’ cinque!” (somehow, my body managed to pick up Italian while I was sleeping). I averted a crisis simply by listening to the physical signals I routinely ignored in the past. It felt great, and I’m striving to improve my skills in that area, and practise it more often. Your body intuitively knows what’s good for you. Listen to it.
Earlier yesterday on twitter, a famous vegan cookbook author asked, “Q: how much oil in a recipe before you won’t make it? Does mention of 1/2 c olive oil freak anyone out? 1/3 cup better? What is OK?”. Well, I think the answer depends on several factors. What kind of oil is it? How many servings does the recipe make? How much of it will I be eating at one sitting? How often will I eat it? Half cup (the amount in the recipe) is 8 tablespoons (120 ml) or 24 teaspoons (24 x 5 ml). If the dish yields 20 servings (a baked dessert), that’s less than 2 teaspoons per serving. If it’s a main course that makes 8-10 servings, it’s still 1 tablespoon or less per serving–less than most people use on one salad. Mostly, I wouldn’t think twice if the dish were a special occasion recipe–it’s only once in a while, anyway.
What struck me about the exchange was the idea that based on the amount of oil alone, people would eschew the entire recipe. I know people who eat raw coconut oil by the tablespoon, yet the idea of 1/2 cup in an entire recipe is anathema.
A while back, I was asked in a comment on this post about whether roasting nuts renders them less healthy–and, of course, the short answer is “yes.” But do I want to eat raw nut butter all of the time? No. I like the taste of toasted nuts better than the taste of raw nuts. Nuts still contain healthy fats. They are still a real food. So I eat them toasted sometimes, and I don’t worry about it.
My point is that you can be so focused on the health-related characteristics of your food that you overlook the fact that food is supposed to taste good and confer pleasure. As Andrew Weil notes in his book, Eating Well for Optimum Health, a rigid adherence to eating only “healthy” foods can negate the pleasure we get from sharing our meals with others–and sometimes the social contact is more important to our health than the absolute quality of the food we’re eating.
Which brings me back to the comment that started it all. Here’s my response to each of the points made by the commenter:
Soy crisps – a bean that is only truly digestible when fermented, is processed into a crisp?Yes, soy crisps are processed (they contain non-GMO soy protein, tapioca starch and salt); see my comments above about 90%/10%. As I’ve mentioned before, even though fermented soy is more easily digestible than non-fermented (eg, tofu), I do not avoid tofu or other non-fermented soy (eg, soymilk) in moderation. It is a great source of protein and contains isoflavones that are advantageous in myriad ways, plus many other health benefits. While it’s not for everyone (you can read about the pros and cons yourself), for me, soy’s numerous health benefits–and the fact that it’s been a staple food in many Asian cultures for centuries–makes it a desirable food.
Canola oil – oil that is high in inflammation promoting omega 6, processed from rapeseeds and should only be eaten raw. As far as I know (or can find information in my nutrition texts and online), canola oil is considered a “monounsaturated fat” because it contains mostly (about 55%) monounsaturated fatty acids. Like any oil, canola is made up of mono-, poly- and saturated fats in different ratios. It does contain Omega 6 oil, but it also contains a larger percent of Omega 3. In any case, unless the canola is organic and cold pressed, I wouldn’t want to consume it at all. Like any oil that is liquid at room temperature, canola is best when unheated. It might not be my first choice for baking or cooking (I don’t ever use it at home); however, I am not too concerned about eating a snack with it on occasion (see point II, above).
Agave syrup – the sugars of the agave cactus without the natural brake of fibre, controversy rages about whether it is low or high GI. I know that some people think agave is evil. I am not one of those people. The glycemic index (GI) of agave, when organic and processed without excess heat or chemicals, is relatively low (38 or so). Like any other natural sweetener, agave is harmful in large quantities. However, having readseveralarticles about it, I’ve decided that, for me, agave is a good sweetener as long as it’s organic and not overly processed. Like maple syrup, it requires some processing to convert the raw sap into what we buy in the store. It is still a delicious, low glycemic sweetener–but like any sweetener, should be eaten in small quantities and as a treat.
Brown Rice syrup – sugars inherent in rice – highly processed, super high GI, even though it’s brown rice! Again, brown rice syrup is a traditional natural sweetener that’s been used for ages. The sugars inherent in rice are no worse, as far as I can tell, than the sugars inherent in wheat, spelt, millet, or any other grain. And while some processing is, of course, required to convert rice to a sweetener, I have been able to find absolutely no corroboration that brown rice syrup is high GI. Most of the articles I’ve come across list its glycemic index as around 25-35–rather low.
Given my own approach to healthy eating, I am comfortable consuming snacks such as The Simply Bar on occasion. If the bars’ ingredients don’t jibe with what you think is healthy, please, don’t eat them. I’m grateful to the commenter for prompting me to examine my viewpoint on these ingredients and articulate my eating philosophy in general.
["Does this mean we get to listen to our bodies, too, Mum? Because my body is telling me that it's time you gave me a treat."]
Perhaps most importantly when it comes to our diets, however, is that I believe each of us must make our own informed choices about the food we put in our mouths. If my approach doesn’t resonate with you, that’s fine; there are many other approaches out there to pursue. With so many sources of illness in our world–toxins, pollution, carcinogens, molds, bacteria, germs, viruses, electromagnetic pollution–I could go on–I think it’s essential that we don’t allow ourselves to become bogged down in the negative impact of them all. It’s still possible to eat well and enjoy your food while keeping an eye open to the possible drawbacks.
Whew! And if you made it this far in the post, well, I think you deserve a reward. Go get yourself a huge piece of chocolate, or maybe a (thin) slice of cake–made with real, organic ingredients, of course.
I’d love to hear what you think about the issue–what constitutes a “healthy” diet in your mind?
Stay tuned for the eggplant bacon recipe coming up!
