Vanilla Applesauce

Crafting your own applesauce is a bazillion times more flavorful than what you’ll find at the megamart and a really simple process.

I posted an applesauce recipe in the past, but thought I would pass along another tasty one I came across in the pages of Vegetarian Times magazine.

4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine apples, 1 cup water, vanilla bean and lemon juice in saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes, or until apples are tender. Stir in brown sugar. Remove pan from heat. Let cool, remove vanilla bean and mash with a fork until a chunky sauce forms. Stir in vanilla. The applesauce will keep in the fridge for at least one week.

Tame Inflammation

When I busted my ankle last summer my toes swelled up like mini sausages. Not great to look at but it's the body's way of healing itself. But there is another type of inflammation which is much more insidious and deadly. Here’s an article I wrote for Delicious Living magazine about steps you can take to tame internal, heart-hampering inflammation.
http://deliciouslivingmag.com/health/conditions/inflammation/1-14-tame-inflammation/index.html

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I always associated flourless chocolate cake with an indulgent dessert you’d order at a tony restaurant. But it’s really easy to make at home and may just end up being your go to dessert when company is coming.

This sumptuous cake comes courtesy of Gluten-Free Quick & Easy (Avery Trade, 2007) by Carol Fenster, Ph.D. I have interviewed Carol several times for my articles and with numerous gluten-free cookbooks under her belt, she is a definite authority on the matter.

Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake













Gluten-free, packed with heart-healthy almonds and almost impossibly rich. What’s not to love? A chocolate sauce or fresh raspberries would be fitting toppings for this cake. If you like your chocolate with a little kick (I definitely do!) add some cayenne or chili powder.

2 cups whole almonds (measure before grinding)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup canola or grapeseed oil
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne or chili powder (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease an 8 or 9-inch nonstick gray springform pan. Line the bottom with wax paper or parchment paper and grease again; set aside. Grind almonds in a food processor or high powered blender like the Vita-mix to a fine, mealy texture. Add the brown sugar, eggs, oil, cocoa, vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, cayenne or chili and process for about 1 minute. Scrape down the side halfway if needed. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a tester inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool 15 minutes in the pan. Cut around the edge to loosen the cake from pan edges. Release the pan side and remove the paper liner. Slice and serve.

Mini Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake













No springform pan. No problem. You can make the exact same luscious recipe in muffin cups. A good way to control portions. Plus, it cuts down on cooking time. Non-stick silicon muffin cup trays are recommended. You’ll find these to be a little lighter than the cake version.

2 cups whole almonds (measure before grinding)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup canola or grapeseed oil
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne or chili powder (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease 12 medium sized muffin cups. Grind almonds in a food processor or high powered blender like the Vita-mix to a fine, mealy texture. Add the brown sugar, eggs, oil, cocoa, vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, chili or cayenne and process for about 1 minute. Scrape down the side of bowl halfway through if needed. Transfer the batter to the muffin cups and bake 20 minutes or until a tester inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool 15 minutes before unmolding.

Chia Power

I’ve written before about why I am such a big fan of chia. Here’s a synopsis:

A single ounce of chia seed contains a whopping 11 grams of dietary fiber. In fact, almost all of the carbs in this pipsqueak seed is fiber. A 2010 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study involving more than 89,000 subjects found that those who consumed the most fiber were least likely to pack on weight over a period of 6.5 years. One reason why fiber is such a fat-fighter is that it fills you up, which prevents overeating. Chia is very satiating because its fiber forms a type of gel in your gut to slow digestion. Men should aim for 38 grams of fiber per day and women need to shoot for 25 grams. Data indicates processed food loving North Americans are not coming close to these numbers.

Chia is well-endowed with omega-3 fats (almost 5grams per ounce). These omega-3s have anti-inflammatory powers to help fend off heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases.

Chia is also packed with a wide assortment of vitamins and minerals including calcium (more than milk on a per weight basis), magnesium, iron, zinc and phosphorus.

Unlike flax, chia seeds do not have to be ground prior to consumption for proper absorption.

In the kitchen, you can now take advantage of several different forms of chia.

Chia seeds: Sprinkle these gems into oatmeal, yogurt, cottage cheese, baked goods, and salads. Chia seeds unique hydrophilic integrity lets them absorb several times their weight in water to form a gel. A couple of the recipes below show why this is such a wonderful perk.

Chia oil: Light tasting omega loaded chia oil is now starting to hit store shelves. It’s too delicate for the frying pan but excellent in dressings, dips, spreads or drizzled on hearty bread. It tastes much better than flax oil, which in my opinion if kind off raunchy.

Chia powder: 100% gluten-free super nutritious chia powder can replace a quarter of the flour a recipe calls for. Try it in pancakes, brownies, cookies, muffins, breads and cakes.

Get your chia fix

Here in Canada, one of my favorite chia sources is Prana (www.pranana.com). They have chia seeds, chia oil and chia powder along with some great recipes on their website. Look for them in natural food stores.












South of the border (and here in Canada as well) Navitas (www.navitasnaturals.com) is always a reliable chia source. They actually sprout their chia powder for an added nutrition boost.


















Asheville, North Carolina based eco-savvy UliMana (www.ulimana.com) has some very toothsome Chia Moon Drops as well as many other raw chocolate inspired no-so-guilty indulgences. If you are looking for healthier snack options, give their product line a look over.

Want to give chia a try? Here’s a wack load of recipes to get you started.

Chia Fruit Spread













A wonderful, no sugar added fruit spread for bread, crackers or mixed into yogurt.The recipe takes advantage of chia's ability to absorb several times its weight in water to form a gel. You can pretty much use any berry you like. I had a bunch of red currants in the freezer so I used those.

1.5 cups water
4 tablespoons chia
¾ cup berry of choice

In a bowl, mix together chia and water and let sit for at least 30 minutes to form a gel. Stir with a whisk occasionally to prevent clumping. Put the fruit and chia seed gel in a blender and process till desired consistency. Store in the fridge.

Chia Bars













This no-cook bar recipe comes from the January 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times that was a side-kick to my chia article in the magazine. You could also toss some dried fruit or shredded coconut into the mix. For a little extra zing, incorporate some lemon or orange zest.

Makes 8 bars

1.5 pitted dates
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup chia seeds
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup slivered almonds or shelled pistachios

Place dates in bowl of food processor; puree until a thick paste forms. Add cocoa powder, chia, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Process until all the ingredients are combined and sticky. Add nuts and pulse until finely chopped and distributed through the date mixture. Spread mixture onto a lightly greased baking sheet and form into a square about ½-inch thick. A rolling pin is helpful with this. Chill in the freezer for about 1 hour and then cut into squares.

Chia lentil burgers with chia quinoa tabouleh













This incredibly nutritious dinner uses chia in all its marvelous guises.

Makes 4 servings

Burgers:

1 cup green lentils
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup chia seed powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup sunflower seeds

Add lentils to a pot and cover with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until lentils are very soft. Meanwhile, cook onion in a skillet over medium heat until translucent and softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and paprika and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. In a bowl of a food processor, combine cooked lentils, onion mixture, chia poweder, vegetable oil, cilantro and salt and pepper. Process until everything is well mixed but still slightly grainy. Add in sunflower seeds and pulse a few times to mix in seeds. From into eight patties and cook in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until well browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Serve with desired condiments.

Tabouleh:
1 cup quinoa
1 cup chopped parsley
¼ cup fresh mint
2 garlic cloves
1 cup diced tomato (about 2 tomatoes)
1 medium red pepper, diced
Juice from 1 lemon
¼ cup chia oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
¼ cup chia seeds
Salt and pepper to taste

Place quinoa in a small pot with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer until all the water is gone, about 15 minutes. In a large bowl combine quinoa and the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Serve warm or chilled.

Coconut Chia Pudding
















Another recipe that makes use of chia's tendency to glob up. This has a different consitency than traditional pudding but is very tasty (and nutritious!).

Makes 2-3 servings

¾ cup coconut milk
1 banana
4 tablespoons chia seed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Dash of sea salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave syrup
Cocoa nibs (optional)
Unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)

Combine coconut milk, banana, chia seed, cinnmaon, cocoa powder and salt in a food processor or blender and whirl until mixed. Let the mixture sit for several minutes until it has thickened. Top with cocoa nibs and coconut flakes before serving if desired.

Hemp Chia Oat Cookies













These are crazy moist. Hemp flour is available in some health stores or online at www.manitobaharvest.com. Like chia, it contains omega fats and gives baked goods a nice earthy, nutty flavor. If you don't have hemp flour, you can try other types of flour as well.

Makes 12 cookies

1.5 cup rolled oats
1 cup hemp flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup applesauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. molasses
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
½ cup unsweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly greased foil. In a large bowl, combine oats, hemp flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate bowl, combine applesauce, oil, white sugar, brown sugar, and molasses. Mix in egg and then stir in vanilla, coconut and chia seeds. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until moist throughout. Wet hands and form into 1-1.5 inch balls and gently press down. Bake for about 12 minutes or until darkened. They should still be moist.

Chia Crusted Tofu














The chia seeds lend tofu a wonderful crunchy crust. This would also work for chicken breast.

Serves 4

12 ounce package of firm tofu, drained
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Rinse tofu under cold water and slice in half lengthwise. Wrap it in a double layer of paper towel and place on a plate. Place a second plate on top of the tofu, and let sit at least 15 minutes to drain out any excess water. On a plate, mix together chia seeds, salt, pepper, cayenne, lime zest. Slice tofu pieces into halves crosswise so you have four pieces of tofu and brush each side with sesame oil. Press each side of the tofu into the chia mixture to coat thoroughly. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sear the tofu blocks until crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side.

Hemp Orange Vinaigrette













Try this dressing on almost any type of salad. You can use honey instead of maple syrup and red wine vinegar is an adequate stand-in for balsamic.

1 orange
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Juice from ½ lime
1/3 cup chia oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Add all the ingredients to a blender and whirl until smooth. Add more oil if needed in order to reach desired consistency. Can be stored in the fridge for about 1 week.

Butternut Squash

This succulent hourglass-like gourd is blessed with a deep orange flesh that has a silky texture and taste reminiscent of sweet potato bathed in butter. Among its many nutrition merits including fiber and blood-pressure lowering potassium, butternut squash is well-endowed with the antioxidant beta-carotene, which reduces heart disease risk and potentially decreases the incidence of certain types of cancer. In the body, beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A – a vitamin that helps support a healthy immune system. Darker fleshed squash like butternut and acorn are a bigger storehouse of beta-carotene.

Incredibly delicious when roasted and drizzled with maple syrup or folded into risotto, butternut squash, technically a fruit because it contains seeds, is also a standout in soups.

Squash and Banana Soup














Every spoonful of this sumptuous soup will warm your bones. Add a pinch of cayenne if you like it hot. Here’s a breakdown on how to peel and chop butternut squash.

1 ripe banana, unpeeled
1 butternut squash, peeled, cut in cubes (about 4-5 cups)
¼ cup butter
2 Tbsp each brown sugar and honey
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 cup coconut milk
3 cups vegetable broth or water
Juice of 1 lime
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
¼ tsp salt and pepper or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place banana on one end of baking sheet and squash on rest of sheet. Cut 2 tablespoons of butter into tiny bits. Sprinkle on squash, along with brown sugar and honey. Cook for 20 minutes; remove banana and set aside. Stir squash and roast 10 minutes more. Melt remaining butter in a large pan on medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic, curry powder, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Peel banana and add it and any juices to pan. Add squash, coconut milk and 2 cups stock. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In batches, puree in blender until smooth. Return to pot and stir in remaining stock until desired consistency along with lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Splurge or Save

Free-range eggs or normal eggs?
Virgin olive oil or pure olive oil?
Chunk light tuna or the solid white stuff?

Even if cash is tight in these tough economic times, there are certain food splurges worth making for the sake of your health and the environment. But don’t fret, because you can save big time elsewhere in the supermarket by opting for bargain foods that are just as healthy (sometimes more so) than versions saddled with a heftier price tag. Here’s an article I wrote that appears in the Febrauary issue of Runner's World that will help you get the most bang for your stretched buck at the supermarket.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-300--13391-1-1-2,00.html

Hemp Milk

Whether lactose bugs your tummy, you’re fretting over the carbon footprint of big agriculture dairy farming or just desire something different for your palate than moo juice, you’re in luck. These days, you can sport a white mustache that comes from an increasing number of different beans, grains, nuts and seeds. Made from crushed hemp seeds, hemp milk is a serious contender for the best non-dairy milk alternative.

More than any other alternative dairy drink, delighting in a cold glass of hemp milk will give your diet a boost of essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that are critical for overall wellbeing. In fact, hemp milk contains roughly twice the amount of the nutritional powerhouse omega-3 fat which offers protection against heart disease than its nearest non-dairy beverage competitor.

Hemp milk is also the only non-dairy beverage that contains an omega-6 fat called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Some scientists believe that GLA can help us dodge inflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s, arthritis and heart disease.

With 4 to 5 grams of protein per cup, only soy milk has more among faux milks. This protein is particularly easy to digest due to an absence of trypsin inhibitors (trypsin is an enzyme that aids in protein absorption) found in legumes such as soy.

Hemp milk also supplies many other must-have nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, manganese, iron (not found in cows’ milk) and zinc.

Like other dairy alternatives, hemp milk is free of lactose so it’s a godsend for lactose intolerant individuals. It also comes sans oligosaccharides – an irritant found in soy milk that can cause stomach unrest in some people.

What’s more, no pesticides or herbicides are used in the growing or processing of sturdy hemp for food production. And unlike much of the non-organic soy grown in North America, hemp seeds used for hemp milk production are never genetically modified.

Rich and creamy, hemp milk has a distinctive taste that resembles that of sunflower seeds. It is sure to be a hit even among the most ardent milk lovers. It can be enjoyed on its own, blended into smoothies, steamed into lattes, or the float for your cereal. But make sure to give it a good shake before pouring. If you’re concerned over sugar intake, opt for unsweetened brands.

My favorite brand is Manitoba Harvest (www.manitobaharvest.com) which can be found in many health foods shops and larger supermarkets.

Banana Hemp Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Sauce













A perfect way to start your Sunday.

Makes 6 pancakes

1 cup spelt or whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ripe banana, mashed
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup plain hemp milk
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup walnuts
½ cup blueberries
¼ cup pure maple syrup

In a blender, mix together blueberries and maple syrup. Set aside. In a bowl, mix together flour and baking powder. Mix in banana, cinnamon, hemp milk, walnuts and then egg. Mix until smooth. Add in more hemp milk if necessary until you get desired consistency (not to clumpy). Drop batter onto skillet with a 1/3 cup measuring cup and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve topped with blueberry sauce.

Hot Chocolate Hemp Milk












This drink is almost impossibly rich.

Makes 1 serving

1 cup plain or chocolate hemp milk
1 ounce dark chocolate bar
Dash of cayenne

In a small pot, bring hemp milk to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in dark chocolate and cayenne and mix until the chocolate is melted and the drink is smooth.