Sorry I haven’t been appearing much on these pages of late. Due to a nasty (and I mean nasty) computer virus, I haven’t had access to my computer for over a week. My machine is currently at the shop of Computer Fix-It Guy #4. If he can’t find the source of the problem, I’m just going to go out and buy a new computer.
The Girls are very disappointed to miss their usual Halloween post this year! I may just have to show you what they looked like in their costumes after the fact (once I can access photos again).
[Just a quick note before I get to tonight's Wellness Weekend--tomorrow is the LAST DAY to vote for Diet, Dessert and Dogs in the Shape Magazine "Best Blogger" Awards! If you haven't voted yet, I'd really appreciate your support--let's kick DDD into the top three! (And to whomever it was that nominated me in the first place, thank you so much!) ]
Boo!
Can you believe it’s Halloween in just a few days? What have y’all got planned–costumes, parties, great dishes for Wellness Weekend?!
There was decidedly nothing scary about all the great submissions from last week. In fact, I’d say you submitted some of the best recipes yet! I loved the focus on pumpkin and squash, those quintessential fall ingredients–and so many lovely desserts as well!
Here’s a sampling of my favorites based on the theme, “treats–no tricks!”:
Banoffee Pie from Eating Like a Horse–this treat made me really, really wish I could eat bananas on the ACD!
Homemade Vanilla Coconut Milk from Simply Living Healthy–a great way to save some money so you can treat yourself to something non-food related!
And the Reader’s Choice this past week was:
Flourless Pumpkin Pie Cookies from Hunter’s Lyonesse. I daresay these are going to be the next treat I bake up for myself!
Can’t wait to see what treats you cook up this week–tricks or no tricks!
Thank you to every one of you who played along by submitting your recipes! I love seeing what you all make each week.
Please join us this weekend! There are so many options for healthy foods. . . whether or not you’re vegan, remember that many salads, veggie side dishes, pasta dishes, desserts, smoothies, and more are naturally vegan and can all be included!
Here’s How to Participate (PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE LINKING UP!):
The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until Monday at midnight.
Simply link up a recipe you made (and posted about) within the past week that contains health-supporting ingredients (see list below). Use the Linky Tool at the bottom of the page. Please do not link more than once to the same web page!
Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page. The post must contain a recipe.
You may submit more than one recipe, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL PER POST, PLEASE.
Please be sure to mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!
As always, I hate to remove links, but will do so if they don’t comply with the guidelines.
What your recipe CAN contain:
Any good-for-you, whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome!
Natural sweeteners (coconut sugar, agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, stevia, Sucanat, rapadura, coconut nectar, yacon syrup, etc.)
Vegan ingredients (even if you’re not vegan, OF COURSE you can still play along! You’ll be surprised at how many foods are naturally vegan; and if not, there are many subs you can use for eggs, milk or butter–include vegan options and we’re good to go!).
Note that this is NOT AN ACD-ONLY EVENT. Any real food ingredients that are sugar-free and vegan are more than welcome–so use that maple syrup, those mushrooms, that nutritional yeast, miso, etc! I’m just looking for healthy, whole foods recipes.
What your recipe cannot contain:
White flour, white sugar, or any highly refined, highly processed ingredients (note that regular brown sugar is actually refined!);
Anything almost entirely artificial (ie, most boxed mixes, fast food, faux “cheese,” faux “meat,” or margarine, unnaturally colored cereals or other foods, etc.);
Animal products (meat, chicken, fish or seafood, or their by-products, gelatin, eggs, dairy, butter or honey).
“Hey! Why was my entry removed?”
The most common reason entries are removed is because they don’t adhere to the guidelines:either they contain ingredients that aren’t listed here, they are a re-post of a blog entry that is more than one week old, or they contain neither a recipe nor anything directly related to food preparation. If you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! For older posts, you’re welcome to re-post them during the week of the event, or choose a newer recipe.
Another reason posts are removed is because the link leads to an advertisement or a business blog. Please do NOT link up posts that are merely referrals to a different post or the home page for another blog event.
Only one thumbnail per post, please. If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE read the guidelines before posting!
[Sometimes, you just want a dish that's quick and easy--no fuss. I've decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly or else is so simple to make that no recipe is required. Here's today's "Flash in the Pan." (For other FitP recipes, see "Categories" at right).]
I think it’s funny that the title of this post will almost take longer to read than it will take you to make these little lovelies!
I was scrounging around our kitchen for a sweet treat over the weekend (not that there’s anything atypical about that around here), when I remembered Hannah’s brilliant Wellness Weekend submission from this week, for No-Bake Anzac Cookie Truffles. I loved her concept and it suddenly struck me: who says there has to be chocolate in every dessert I want to eat? (and yes, that thought IS rather atypical around here).
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. . . I could eat it for every meal, plus snacks (and some days, I do). And raw truffles–what could be more delicious? I do love my raw chocolate chip cookie dough truffles (and not just because Ellen loved them, too), but I wanted something a little different, without having to use oats. Then I spied the half-used bag of puffed rice I’d bought for another recipe but which I don’t particularly enjoy eating for breakfast.
Why not rice crumbs instead? With the cashew-rice crumb base in mind, I added a touch of lucuma for that wonderful caramel flavor as well as one of my favorite spice mixes, Chinese 5 Spice Powder (you can sub cinnamon if you don’t have any or don’t like it). About 2 minutes later, I had a truffle base that I rolled into tiny balls and popped in the fridge (and a few got popped into my mouth on their way there).
These are less dense than the typical “raw truffle” balls made with lots of nuts and oats, but I loved them as a light snack. The HH said he thought they tasted too much like rice cereal. Even though I didn’t have that same experience, I say, “what’s wrong with rice cereal?” Seems to me that flavor combo would be pretty delicious as well.
This recipe yields a small batch. . . great to share with a friend. If you’re serving to a crowd, double or triple the recipe.
These are a really quick snack that you can whip up in less than 5 minutes when the sweet munchies hit, or right before the kids get home from school. If you have the time, make them the night before, as they actually improve with refrigeration overnight.
1 Tbsp (15 ml) coconut nectar or vegetable glycerin
6-8 drops plain or vanilla liquid stevia, to your taste
1 tsp (5 ml) smooth natural almond butter (optional, but brings out the caramely flavor)
up to 2 tsp (10 ml) plain or vanilla rice, almond or soy milk
Place the cashews in the bowl of a mini food processor and process until they’re almost powdered. Add the cereal, salt, 5 Spice powder and lucuma and process again until the mixture looks like a very fine meal.
Drizzle the coconut nectar, stevia and almond butter over the dry mixture and pulse until it comes together in moist crumbles. If it’s really dry, add the milk and pulse again (it should not be so moist that it forms a ball, but the mixture should stick together when pinched between your thumb and fingers).
Using a packed teaspoonful of the mixture for each truffle, squeeze it together to squeeze out any air and then roll into a small ball. Refrigerate the balls, covered, until ready to eat. Makes 9-10 small balls. Will keep, refrigerated, up to 4 days.
Some of you may remember that last year, I participated in the Gluten-Free Holiday event hosted by Amy from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. Well, our gal Amy has done it again, and we’re going to embark on a second year of celebrating the holiday season–totally gluten-free!
Read on for all the details about this fun and exciting event!
How Does It Work?
Each week, we’ll offer a themed link-up event and fabulous cookbook give-away!
Why a Special Event?
The holidays are stressful enough without worrying about whether your gluten-free pie crust or your Upside Down Apple Pancake will turn out. We want to make this season as easy as possible by sharing our favorite kitchen tested gluten-free recipes.
Who Are We?
The event is being hosted by Amy and five more gluten-free blogging friends (including yours truly!). Since not all of the blogs involved are vegan, please note that some recipes submitted may include animal ingredients; this is an omni-inclusive event. Nevertheless, last year I was able to find lots of great recipes I could enjoy.
And, of course, all of you are invited, too! If you weren’t part of it, it just wouldn’t feel like a holiday celebration.
So Here’s the Scoop….
On Thursdays in November and December, a different gluten-free blogger will host a link-up event where you can also share your best gluten-free holiday dishes and browse for recipes to add to your menu.
Every week we’ll have a give-away, too! Just link up or leave a comment to enter.
Here’s a list of dates and themes (so you can mark your calendars!):
With cookies and rich meals all around during the holiday season, it only makes sense to consider how you can stay healthy amid all the indulgence. Bring your favorite healthier dish to SS&GF. Or, share your secrets for maintaining your sanity and health during the holiday hustle and bustle.
It’s American Thanksgiving! Share your favorite gluten-free Thanksgiving dish, from appetizer to dessert at Kim’s lovely blog! We want to see your stuffing, tofurkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, cranberry jelly…anything Thanksgiving goes. (Regular DDD readers know that we’ve already celebrated here in Canada, but don’t let that stop you from sharing all the great recipes you enjoyed!).
There’s nothing that says love like a gift from the kitchen. I love giving homemade gifts to people and they are some of my favorite presents. Share your top tips for making treats to give, along with how you package them too!
December 1nd – Holiday Entrees & Sides Dishes at Daily Bites
Bring your family’s favorite entrées and sides for Christmas and Hanukkah. We want to see the savory dishes your family loves the most. Or, experiment with a new recipe and bring it to Hallie’s blog!
I’ve said many times: breakfast (or brunch) is my favorite meal of the day! And holiday brunches are even more special, sitting with loved ones around the morning table after sleeping in post-holiday celebration, sharing waffles, cinnamon rolls, scones, scrambles and all the other fantastic AM fare. Help someone else find the perfect dish for their holiday breakfast or brunch!
Just like it sounds – bring Maggie your favorite gluten-free dessert for all to share. Cookies, pies, truffles, cakes, and candies….we want to try them all.
What’s next?
Get your recipe box and cookbooks out. Start browsing…then get in the kitchen and start cooking for the best ever gluten-free holiday! Stay tuned for the first post coming in November–hope you’ll join us!
And check back later today for a pre-holiday treat that you can whip up in less than 5 minutes!
“That sounds great and everything, Mum, but if it’s the holidays, does that mean you’ll be dressing us up in those silly costumes again? *Groan*. “
Pumpkin love was in the air for last week’s Wellness Weekend–I guess I can’t deny that autumn is really here. Well, with dishes like the ones you contributed, I guess the fall can’t be all that bad (though I’m not quite ready to say “hello” to winter, yet–ack!).
Here’s are just a few top choices from last week, based on the theme of “foods that will warm you”:
And the Reader’s Choice post from this past week was:
Chile Chocolate Tart from Tri 2 Cook! It’s Shannon’s first entry to Wellness Weekends–and you folks sure did welcome her! Check out her fabulous recipe.
I think it’s fair to say that we love our desserts!
As always, thank you to every one of you who played along by submitting your recipes! I love seeing what you all make each week.
Please join us this weekend! There are so many options for healthy foods. . . whether or not you’re vegan, remember that many salads, veggie side dishes, pasta dishes, desserts, smoothies, and more are naturally vegan and can all be included!
Here’s How to Participate (PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE LINKING UP!):
The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until Monday at midnight.
Simply link up a recipe you made (and posted about) within the past week that contains health-supporting ingredients (see list below). Use the Linky Tool at the bottom of the page. Please do not link more than once to the same web page!
Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page. The post must contain a recipe.
You may submit more than one recipe, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL PER POST, PLEASE.
Please be sure to mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!
As always, I hate to remove links, but will do so if they don’t comply with the guidelines.
What your recipe CAN contain:
Any good-for-you, whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome!
Natural sweeteners (coconut sugar, agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, stevia, Sucanat, rapadura, coconut nectar, yacon syrup, etc.)
Vegan ingredients (even if you’re not vegan, OF COURSE you can still play along! You’ll be surprised at how many foods are naturally vegan; and if not, there are many subs you can use for eggs, milk or butter–include vegan options and we’re good to go!).
Note that this is NOT AN ACD-ONLY EVENT. Any real food ingredients that are sugar-free and vegan are more than welcome–so use that maple syrup, those mushrooms, that nutritional yeast, miso, etc! I’m just looking for healthy, whole foods recipes.
What your recipe cannot contain:
White flour, white sugar, or any highly refined, highly processed ingredients (note that regular brown sugar is actually refined!);
Anything almost entirely artificial (ie, most boxed mixes, fast food, faux “cheese,” faux “meat,” or margarine, unnaturally colored cereals or other foods, etc.);
Animal products (meat, chicken, fish or seafood, or their by-products, gelatin, eggs, dairy, butter or honey).
“Hey! Why was my entry removed?”
I used to email each poster individually if I had to remove the post, but I just don’t have that kind of time any more–sorry! So if your recipe mysteriously disappeared, please check the list below and feel free to re-post it if it changes to meet the guidelines! You can always leave a comment or email me if you’re still not sure why something was removed.
The most common reason entries are removed is because they don’t adhere to the guidelines:either they contain ingredients that aren’t listed here, they are a re-post of a blog entry that is more than one week old, or they contain neither a recipe nor anything directly related to food preparation. If you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! For older posts, you’re welcome to re-post them during the week of the event, or choose a newer recipe.
Another reason posts are removed is because the link leads to an advertisement, a business blog or another blog event page (with mulitple entries and linkys). Please do NOT link up posts that are merely referrals to a different post or the home page for another blog event.
Only one thumbnail per post, please. If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE read the guidelines before posting!
For someone who considers her typical days to be fairly mundane, it does seem I’ve got quite a soft spot for all things unconventional.
I’d trace this penchant for the eccentric back to my grade six art class with Miss Tarnofsky. Miss T (we all thought it should stand for “Terror”) was the strictest, most demanding and discerning teacher in our grade school, and we learned to tread carefully in her presence. With her short black bob (the bangs so severe they looked as if they’d been drawn with a ruler) and her terse directives in the classroom, all she had to do was raise an eyebrow in disapproval and even the most chatty of students would immediately be silenced. Her classes were always impeccably organized and presented; she was both an imposing disciplinarian and an admirable role model.
One day, Miss T asked us to produce a painting on a subject of our own choosing. I was determined to prove my artisitic prowess and gain her approval. I labored for the entire hour over my still life of a vase and flowers.
Meandering among the desks to assess our ouevres in silence, Miss T paused at the desk of SS, who was, even at the tender age of twelve, already christened the group’s science nerd (if only The Big Bang Theory had been broadcast back in those days, SS’s fate may have turned out very differently). Miss T grabbed the watercolor canvas and held it aloft as if she’d just rescued a kitty from a treetop. The rest of us stared incredulously at a large rectangle filled with muddy splotches, swirls and ragged brush strokes in various shades of grey. It looked like an oil slick floating atop a mud puddle.
“This is the best piece of artwork in the class,” she pronounced. “Unlike all the others, this one has feeling. It has a voice. It has personality.” She lifted it a little higher, as if to impress upon us the importance of her final proclamation: “This painting, boys and girls, exhibits a soul.”
Well, that was all I needed to hear. From that point onward, I felt totally validated searching for that kernel of soul within every nerd, misfit, outcast or rebel or iconoclast I encountered, seeking the unspoken connections between us.
Or maybe it was just written in my genes. As I grew older, I began to recognize my mom’s quiet idiosyncrasies, too. Almost daily, my mom would lament how, if only she were thinner (she was obese most of her life), she’d don the most colorful, ostentatious, tacky outfits she could find. Instead, she channeled her outlandish desires into her earring collection. On her way out the door on Saturday evenings, she’d hold up a pair of tomato-red-and-sunset-orange dangles, or fuscia and green dotted hoops, or sparkly faux-jeweled floral studs and ask my sisters and me, “Are these too young for me?” To which we’d readily respond with an energetic, “No, of course not!”. In the last photo I have of her, a month before she died, my mom is sitting in an armchair in The CFO’s apartment wearing a rainbow-striped tunic and massive, glittery silver hoops dangling from her earlobes.
At Canadian Thanksgiving a few weekends ago when we visited with my long-lost cousins, I discovered just how unconventional are the foods I regularly eat. What I (and, to some extent, the HH) now consider “normal” food, as I was reminded with a start that weekend, is still pretty bizarre to most “regular” eaters.
Nevertheless, I love my unconventional meals! When we celebrated on our own, the HH and I enjoyed a sumptuous feast, entirely comprised of healthy, whole-food offerings. I decided to re-create a traditional cassoulet, something my older sister and her husband have enjoyed as their Easter dinner for years. The traditional French stew is redolent with charcuterie, flageolet beans and a rich, savory broth. It’s also slow-cooked until the entire thing is saturated with fat from the flesh and bones of the meat–not exactly something that called out to me for reproduction. But when I considered the concept of a long-simmered, toothsome stew, that appealed mightily. So I went searching for vegan cassoulet recipes, and found one in Crescent Dragonwagon’sPassionate Vegetarian.
Although Dragonwagon’s original didn’t much appeal to me (it was replete with with several types of processed faux meat), I loved her idea of adding a full bulb of roasted garlic to render the sauce more robust and to add a touch of umami. Apart from that one addition, this recipe is entirely my own.
This stew is thick, filling, the sauce warm and comforting as a beckoning fireplace in winter. With just the right balance between hearty, meaty and saucy, this unusual rendition of the classic makes good use of my veg-based meat crumbles instead of all the processed stuff, and adds its own kick of umami from an unexpected source. I’ve decreased the baking time, too, as traditional cassoulet is an all-day affair (and I wanted you to have plenty of time to enjoy a big plateful of this delightful stew).
This cassoulet may just be the perfect dish to transform an otherwise mundane day into something exceptional. Enough to make you appreciate “unconventional” all the more.
And a Few Newsy Tidbits:
I’m delighted to be a guest poster on the xgfx blog this week! If you’re looking for a healthy (and perhaps unconventional?) dessert, check out my Marbled Halvah!
The ebook version of my cookbook, Sweet Freedom, is being offered at the incredible price of 50% OFF over at Vegan Cuts for the next 3 days! The sales have been brisk–they’ve already sold over 70% of the limited number of ebooks–so head over to get your copy pronto!
The voting for the SHAPE Best Blogger Awards continues until October 28th. I’d love your support to help bring a vegan, gluten-free blog to the top of their list! You can vote here.
Unconventional Vegan Cassoulet
Although it takes a bit of prep time, the final product is stellar. And since the recipe makes a hefty-sized stew, you can freeze leftovers for another meal at a later date. If you prepare the meat and cook your beans in advance, you’ll shorten the prep time considerably. I’ve toasted the bread crumb topping separately and pass it in a bowl for each serving as one would parmesan cheese with pasta, as I found it became too browned if baked on top of the casserole.
2 cups (480 ml) dry white beans (flageolet, Great Northern, navy), soaked in room temperature water overnight
3 cups (720 ml) vegetable broth or stock
1 bay leaf
1 full head of garlic, roasted (see instructions)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 medium carrots, trimmed, peeled and diced
1 large can (28 oz or 596 ml) diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
10-20 drops unflavored liquid stevia, to your taste
1/3 cup (80 ml) chopped fresh parsley or 2 Tbsp (30 ml) dried parsley
1/4-1/2 tsp (1-2.5 ml) dried thyme, to your taste
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) dried marjoram
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cloves
1 tsp (5 ml) celery seeds
salt and pepper to taste
Optional Topping:
3 thick slices of your choice of gluten-free bread, or 2 gluten-free bagels
Make the meat: Prepare the meat as directed and set aside. If you’re making the entire cassoulet in one day, you can roast your garlic at the same time as the meat bakes.
Make the beans and sauce: Once the beans are soaked, drain and rinse them. Place the beans in a large pot with the broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are soft and the liquid is almost entirely absorbed, about an hour. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, roast the garlic: keeping the bulb intact, slice across the top of all the cloves, exposing the top of each one. If desired, drizzle about a teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil on top of the cloves. Wrap the entire bulb in aluminum foil and bake in a 350F (180C) oven until the cloves are soft and beginning to brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
Heat the 2 Tbsp (30 ml) oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Add the onions, 4 cloves of garlic and carrots, and sauté until the onions are translucent, 7-8 minutes. Lower heat and stir in the tomatoes, cranberry juice, stevia, parsley, thyme, marjoram, cloves, celery seeds and salt and pepper. Take the whole bulb of roasted garlic and add the inside of each clove by squeezing it out from the bottom (as you would a toothpaste tube). Mash up the softened cloves so that they are blended into the sauce and stir them into it. Add the bean mixture (you can leave the bay leaf in it; remove it before serving the cassoulet) and stir gently to coat all the beans. Cover the frypan and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
Assemble the cassoulet: Preheat oven to 300F (150C). Grease a large (2 quart or 2 liter) casserole dish or spray with nonstick spray.
Place about half the beans and sauce mixture in the bottom of the casserole and spread evenly. Top with the entire recipe of meat crumbles, then spread the remaining beans and sauce over the top. Cover and bake for about an hour, until the mixture is bubbly and browned on the edges. If it becomes too dry, add 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra vegetable broth (and up to 3/4 cup or 180 ml). Serve with toasted bread crumbs sprinkled over each serving, if desired. Makes 6-8 servings. May be frozen.
For the breadcrumbs: Process the bread or bagels with 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil in a food processor. Heat in a nonstick frypan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the crumbs are browned to desired degree. Pass a bowl of crumbs at the table, with the cassoulet.
I grew up in a home where my two sisters and I learned to bake before our birthdays hit the double digits. Before we learned to read, before we wore a training bra, before we could drive a car, we were baking. As young as four or five, we’d be enlisted to help stir a cake batter, knead a streusel dough or lick the beaters from my mom’s “famous” chiffon cake. So I was pretty stoked when I rented my first apartment at age twenty and finally had my own kitchen, which meant I could bake to my heart’s content.
And yet, bizarrely, the first foodstuff I prepared in the new, steamer trunk-sized kitchen, was not a cake. Nor was it cookies, brownies, a pie, a soufflé–or any other baked good. No, the first dish I cooked up in the miniature kitchen was split pea soup with ham.
Split pea soup with–what?!?!
I know. It seems weird to me, too. You see, my dad (who owned a butcher shop at the time) wanted to give me something pragmatic as a housewarming gift. So he gave me a cooked ham. Was it because my boyfriend back then–for whom I was itching to cook–loved ham? (Unlikely, since my dad disapproved of said bf). Was it because the meat was pre-cooked, and, therefore, could survive the trip between Montreal and Windsor, where I returned after my long weekend at home? (Again, probably not. My parents had sent along much more perishable items, such as fresh cheeses or homemade chocolate chip cookies, before that). Was it because I’d been home for Easter Weekend, and my dad’s butcher shop was burdened with an abundance of unsold ham left over after the holiday, which he chose to pawn off onsave from the garbage bin generously bestow upon me? (Bingo).
And so, I dutifully cooked the pea soup, took one taste and determined that I abhorred it, then donated the entire batch to my boyfriend and his housemates. (It was a perfectly lovely ham and pea soup, I’m sure, but even back then I wasn’t exactly fussy on meat).
I then decided I’d turn to what I knew best–baking! In the first week alone, I’d already mixed up all my favorites: brownies (dense, moist, fudgy, with whole squares of Caramilk chocolate bars embedded within); my mom’s recipe for “Surprise Crackles” cookies (also known as “Chocolate Crinkles“–a rich, melty, puffed chocolate cookie coated in powdered sugar, which “crackles” into mosaic patterns as they bake); Tunnel of Fudge cake (a precursor to chocolate lava cake and a recipe I’d copied down during a summer at my cousin’s in Boston); the Nurse’s recipe for Nanaimo Bars (chewy coconut and chocolate bars); and the ubiquitous chocolate chip cookies, which I had first learned to make alongside my dad’s Great Aunt Yetta.
And then, semi-comatose from my cacao overdose, I began to look further afield than chocolate.
One of my classmates at the time, a pseudo-hippie with a health foodie streak (as I recall she introduced me to true bran muffins, the first time I’d had them made with actual wheat bran rather than All-Bran cereal) brought over a pan of apple crisp/crumble. For someone whose previous reaction to apple desserts had been tepid at best, I found that crumble to be a revelation. Who knew that when you combined apples with sweet, cinnamony, oatmeal-and-butter topping that they’d be transformed into something ethereal?
I must admit that I went on a bit of an apple crumble binge (do we detect a pattern here?). I tried mixing apples with raisins for more sweetness and textural variety (not a fave); using several different types of apples in one crisp (lovely); and experimenting with various proportions of apple-to-crisp-topping (I definitely preferred a heavier topping-to-apple ratio).
What I loved about the recipe was that you didn’t really need a recipe: just grate up some apples, add cinnamon and sugar, then pinch together your flour,sugar and butter, add oats and cinnamon to taste, sprinkle, bake, and eat. I could mix it up, bake it and have sugary juices trailing down my chin all within 40 minutes. And best of all, it made a delicious cold breakfast the next morning. Much more forgiving than cakes or cookies, crumble could be infinitely altered and the proportions changed without too much negative impact.
This particular version goes beyond apple alone, to combine our first fruit with pear and cranberries, our SOS Kitchen Challenge ingredient this month. The trio works particularly well together, the solid, robust apple providing structure to the meltingly soft pear and the sometimes too-tart cranberry. Yet mixed together, they create a beautiful synergy. The crumble topping itself is also grain-free, but believe me, you won’t miss the oats. Once baked, it browns and its sweetness deepens to a perfectly crisp and crumbly topping. We loved this dessert. Next time, I’d heed the HH’s suggestion and top it with some coconut whipped cream as well. Divine!
I’ve had my own kitchen for quite some time by now, and it’s true, the novelty has worn off. But baking? Well, that never gets old.
This is another one of those “desserts-that-can-be-breakfast.” With the abundance of fall fruit and limited grains, this dish makes a great way to start your day. Add a bit more protein and you’re all set!
30 drops plain or vanilla liquid stevia, to your taste
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp (45 ml) water
For the Fililng:
2 medium pears, washed, cored and diced
2 medium sweet apples (I used Honeycrisp), washed, cored and diced
1 cup (240 ml) fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground ginger
2 Tbsp (30 ml) coconut sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
40 drops (about 1/2 tsp or 2.5 ml) plain or vanilla liquid stevia, to your taste
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease a casserole or soufflé dish with nonstick spray or coconut oil.
Make the topping: place the coconut sugar, walnuts, almonds, coconut flour, potato starch, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture resembles a fine meal with no pieces of nuts visible.
In a small heavy-bottomed pot, melt the coconut oil. Whisk in the stevia, vanilla and water. Pour the mixture in a ring around the dry ingredients in the processor and pulse until it all come together. It should look like moist clumps. Set aside.
Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss the pear, apple and cranberries together with the cinnamon and ginger. In a small bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, lemon juice and stevia and stir until the coconut sugar begins to dissolve. Drizzle over the fruit in the bowl and then toss again to coat evenly.
Turn the fruit mixture into the casserole dish and sprinkle with the crumble topping. Press down gently on the topping.
Bake in preheated oven for 40-60 minutes (depending on the depth of your pan, you will need more or less time for the fruit to cook), rotating the dish about halway through, until the topping is deeply browned and the fruit is soft. Serve immediately or at room temperature with a little coconut whipped cream. Makes 6-8 servings. May be frozen.
Note: for earlier stages of the ACD, you can replace the coconut sugar with more stevia. Note that your crumble won’t hold together as well, however.
I hope everyone had a great Canadian Thanksgiving last weekend (even if you’re not Canadian–we Canucks are generous that way).
As always, I was amazed by the variety and creativity of the recipes you submitted last week. I’ve decided to go with a different, specific theme to choose my faves each week, so that I’m not swayed by my favorite foods too much (ie, chocolate!). This week, the theme I used to choose my favorites is “Ingredients I don’t have in my kitchen” (next week’s will be different and I won’t decide until all the entries are in!).
Ginger Sesame Soba Noodles from Cupcakes and Kale. I am a huge soba fan from way back. . .now if only I could find some totally gluten-free ones, I’d be a happy camper!
I’m looking forward to seeing what you cook up this week!
Thank you to every one of you who played along by submitting your recipes! I love seeing what you all make each week.
Please join us this weekend! There are so many options for healthy foods. . . whether or not you’re vegan, remember that many salads, veggie side dishes, pasta dishes, desserts, smoothies, and more are naturally vegan and can all be included!
Here’s How to Participate (PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY BEFORE LINKING UP!):
The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until Monday at midnight.
Simply link up a recipe you made (and posted about) within the past week that contains health-supporting ingredients (see list below). Use the Linky Tool at the bottom of the page. Please do not link more than once to the same web page!
Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page. The post must contain a recipe.
You may submit more than one recipe, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL PER POST, PLEASE.
Please be sure to mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!
As always, I hate to remove links, but will do so if they don’t comply with the guidelines.
What your recipe CAN contain:
Any good-for-you, whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome!
Natural sweeteners (coconut sugar, agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, stevia, Sucanat, rapadura, coconut nectar, yacon syrup, etc.)
Vegan ingredients (even if you’re not vegan, OF COURSE you can still play along! You’ll be surprised at how many foods are naturally vegan; and if not, there are many subs you can use for eggs, milk or butter–include vegan options and we’re good to go!).
Note that this is NOT AN ACD-ONLY EVENT. Any real food ingredients that are sugar-free and vegan are more than welcome–so use that maple syrup, those mushrooms, that nutritional yeast, miso, etc! I’m just looking for healthy, whole foods recipes.
What your recipe cannot contain:
White flour, white sugar, or any highly refined, highly processed ingredients (note that regular brown sugar is actually refined!);
Anything almost entirely artificial (ie, most boxed mixes, fast food, faux “cheese,” faux “meat,” or margarine, unnaturally colored cereals or other foods, etc.);
Animal products (meat, chicken, fish or seafood, or their by-products, gelatin, eggs, dairy, butter or honey).
“Hey! Why was my entry removed?”
The most common reason entries are removed is because they don’t adhere to the guidelines:either they contain ingredients that aren’t listed here, they are a re-post of a blog entry that is more than one week old, or they contain neither a recipe nor anything directly related to food preparation. If you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! For older posts, you’re welcome to re-post them during the week of the event, or choose a newer recipe.
Another reason posts are removed is because the link leads to an advertisement or a business blog. Please do NOT link up posts that are merely referrals to a different post or the home page for another blog event.
Only one thumbnail per post, please. If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE read the guidelines before posting!
Ah, nothing like a short work week, is there? Hope those of you who celebrated on Monday had a great Thanksgiving! (And hope everyone else had a good weekend, short as it was!).
I can’t wait to tell you all about the phenomenal Thanksgiving Vegan Cassoulet I made for The HH and me, or the pillowy, indulgent Black Bottom Almond Mousse Pie for dessert, but those will have to wait–I frittered away slept in thoroughly enjoyed the stupendous weather and extra time with family and friends this past long weekend, which means those blog posts are still to be written. I do, however, have this “taste-it-and-you’ll-be-instantly-addicted,” “so-easy-it’s-almost-criminal,” Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread for you today.
Let me preface this recipe by saying that I have the utmost respect for Weight Watchers. I am not joking on this one (I know, a hundred punch lines just flew through your mind, didn’t they?), as I am (a) most likely one of Weight Watchers’ most loyal former customers ever; (just insert “go on a diet” for “quit smoking” in the old joke: “It’s easy to quit smoking. I’ve done it a dozen times”–and you have my history with Weight Watchers); and (b) I believe they really do help people to lose and manage their weight, primarily by teaching portion control more than anything else.*
Well, one of my friends recently embarked on her eleventh or twelfth round with the “Points” system, so I must have had WW on the brain when I serendipitously came across a recipe for Weight Watchers Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese via a link somewhere else (forget where, now).
The original recipe was lauded for having only “two points.” I quickly determined that I could easily make a much healthier (read: no highly processed/fake ingredients, such as whey protein concentrate, guar gum, carob bean gum, sorbic acid as a preservative, etc; and, of course, no dairy) version based on my own lower-fat “cream cheese” and using the original recipe as a flavor guideline.
Apart from soaking the cashews, this recipe was ridiculously quick and easy to make (and soaking the cashews isn’t what I’d call difficult, of course; but you do need 4-6 hours of advance warning). The result was one smooth, silky-spreadable creamy “cheese” boasting a light kiss of cinnamon and other autum spices like nutmeg, ginger and allspice. It paired beautifully with my grain-free scones for breakfast this morning (that recipe coming up soon).
Although I generally don’t worry about nutritional breakdowns (if I’m eating whole foods, healthy ingredients, I know it will all balance out), but in this case, I was curious. Below is how mine stacked up against theirs (note that there was no choice of “coconut sugar” on the Nutrition Data page, where I calculated these figures. As a result, I used “brown sugar” for both recipes, which means that my version is actually even more nutrient-dense than it appears here).
Which would you rather eat?
Servings
WW: 10; Mine: 12 (2 Tbsp/30 ml each)
Calories per serving:
WW: 61; Mine: 62. 5
Total Fat per serving:
WW: 3.5 g; Mine: 3.2 g
Saturated Fat per serving:
WW: 2.1 g; Mine: 0.6 g
Cholesterol per serving:
WW: 12.1 mg; Mine: 0 mg
Sodium per serving:
WW: 106.7 mg; Mine: 2.1 mg
Fiber per serving:
WW: 0.6 g: Mine: 1.3 g
Sugars per serving:
WW: 4.4 g; Mine: 3.1 g
Protein per serving:
WW: 1.9 g; Mine: 2.1 g
Vitamin A per serving:
WW: 40.6% (of daily requirement); Mine: 3.2%
Calcium:
WW: 4.4% (of daily requirement); Mine: 1.4%
Iron:
WW: 1.5% (of daily requirement); Mine: 4.6%
My take on it: of course, I expected the calcium percentage to be larger in the actual dairy cheese (even though that form of calcium is not necessarily well absorbed); but the huge percentage of vitamin A threw me a bit. Then I reread the cheese ingredients and saw that the “light” cream cheese contained added “Vitamin A palmitate.” Eureka! On the other hand, this whole-foods version wins out in virtually every other category, from iron (wowza!) to fiber (wowza again!) to protein.
Hey, you know what? With this luscious spread on hand, heading back to work after a three-day long weekend turned out to be not so bad, after all.
* Please note that the opinions expressed here are entirely my own, highly personal, views, and I am in no way suggesting that you do or do not join Weight Watchers or am I trying to persuade anyone in one direction or another about the company. I will say, however, that no one in her/his right mind should ever repeat my own, previous, behavior and consume 4 packages of Weight Watchers Chocolate Mousse mix in for dinner within an hour.
And don’t forget. . . You can still vote for my blog in the Shape Magazine “Best Blog” Awards! If you’d like to see a gluten-free, vegan and healthy, whole-foods blog in first place–DDD is the only choice with all those qualities! Thanks so much to everyone for your support!
Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread
suitable for ACD Stage 2 and beyond
This “cream cheese” is perfect spread on biscuits, scones, toast or rice cakes. It would also be heavenly atop a stack of spiced pumpkin or apple pancakes.
1 cup (155 gram) raw cashews, soaked in room temperature water for 4-6 hours and drained
1/2 cup (120 ml) packed pumpkin purée (pumpkin only)
1/2 cup (120 ml) well cooked or canned white kidney or navy beans, rinsed well and drained
6 Tbsp (90 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ginger
1/4 tsp (1 ml) nutmeg (or less, to taste)
1/4 tsp (1 m) allspice
1 tsp (5 ml) Chinese 5 -Spice powder (or use another 1 tsp/5 ml cinnamon)
20-30 drops plain or vanilla stevia extract, to your taste
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender (such as a VitaMix) and blend until silky smooth, scraping down sides or using the wand to push ingredients toward the blades as necessary. (To make this in a regular blender, first process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, then transfer in small batches to a blender and blend until silky. Place each batch in a medium bowl as it’s blended, then stir them all together to ensure a uniform texture).
Use immediately (it will be soft, but spreadable) or refrigerate for several hours to firm up slightly. Makes about 2-1/2 cups (600 ml).
[Just interested in the Baked Pumpkin-Cranberry Oatmeal Pudding recipe? Check the link at the bottom of the page. But first, please go vote for my blog!!]
Happy Friday, everyone!
True to my word yesterday, here I am yet again with another (very short) blog post. I just had to share the news that Diet, Dessert and Dogs is one of 20 blogs nominated for aSHAPE Magazine “Best Blog” Award!! I am over-the-moon excited. I’ve been reading that magazine since at least 60 pounds ago (I tend to go up and down, you understand). And now they’ve recognized DDD as a healthy eating blog–whoo hooooo!
I know it’s Friday (of a long weekend, yet), but I hope you’ll take just a few seconds to hop over to the voting page and click your choice (of course I hope it’s moi, but even if it’s not–take a look at those amazing other bloggers on the list!).
And as always, THANK YOU to everyone who reads this blog, who stops by regularly, who comments, who links up to Wellness Weekend and the SOS Challenge–thank you for supporting this blog with your presence and input!
“Congrats, Mum, on the nomination and everything, but we cannot tell a lie. . . .we’d say that Pumpkin-Cranberry Oatmeal Pudding is way more interesting than a blog award any day!”
]
“That sounds great and everything, Mum, but if it’s the holidays, does that mean you’ll be dressing us up in those silly costumes again? *Groan*. “
