low sugar vegan lemon curd

I cannot believe it's been a whole month since I posted.

But vacation,

a weekend getaway,

plus back to school craziness and redoing a kitchen put a glitch in my best laid plans to share recipes.


I've been wanting to post this recipe for vegan lemon curd for ages. It took awhile to get it just right, but it is so worth the wait.

Reducing sugar, refined or otherwise, is tricky, especially when working with lemons, limes and other highly tart and acidic fruits. After playing around and praying about it (yes, God is good to answer even in these trivialities of life), the winning combination includes stevia, white grape juice and agave or coconut nectars.

When the batch is freshly made, it's lovely to drizzle on blueberry pancakes or spread on scones. After refrigerating, it sets up and takes on the texture found in lemon meringue pie, but can still work as a spread on pancakes, scones, muffins or straight out of the jar.

Low-sugar, Vegan Lemon Curd (recipe notes follow)
dairy-free, fruit-sweetened, gluten free, grain free, low sugar, oil free, refined sugar free, vegan

3/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. 100% white grape juice
2 scoops of stevia*
2 T agave or coconut nectar
6 T corn starch, organic is best
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. full fat coconut milk
1 T vegan butter

1. Combine first six ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat.
2. Whisk constantly until mixture begins to thicken, then whisk in the coconut milk and vegan butter until smooth and pudding-like.

Recipe notes:
Though the recipe is basic and seems straightforward, it really is hard to describe what consistency is needed. The first few times I made this, the mixture seized up and got really thick, but once I added the coconut milk and vegan butter and whisked like mad, it smoothed up in the right consistency. If it seems too runny after you've added the coconut milk and vegan butter, just keep whisking it over medium-low heat until it thickens to the desired consistency.

I chose agave or coconut nectar as the sugar-based sweetener in the recipe since they have a low glycemic index.

*100% pure stevia usually comes with it's own scoop that looks tiny but is adjusted for the big punch pure stevia provides in a recipe. If you're without this small scoop, try 1/16 tsp. stevia using your 1/8th tsp measure.

banana bread bites (with gluten free option)

I'm always on the lookout for dessert recipes that are both good for your body and your taste buds.

The "good for your taste buds" part is easy since most desserts involve some sort of sugar and most people happily eat sweet. But good for you too? Now there's a challenge.

When I first spotted this recipe on Oh She Glows, I knew I had to try it. Unless you add the chocolate chips, it contains no added sugar other than what is found in the fruit. Score on the "good for you" part.

And happily, the recipe met the "good for your taste buds" requirement. It's a hands down favorite, especially with family and friends.

I made a couple of slight modifications and have included some suggestions for additional mix-ins.

Bring on the bananas...

Banana Bread Bites (recipe notes follow)
dairy free, fruit sweetened, gluten free option, nut free option, soy free, sugar free option, vegan

2 large bananas
1/2 c. date paste
1/4 c. coconut oil
2 c. rolled oats, gluten free if needed
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
mix in suggestions (use 1/4 - 1/2 cup): dairy-free chocolate chips, cacao nibs, unsweetened dried cherries, unsweetened coconut, unsweetened cocoa* (suggest 1/4 cup if using), chopped pecans 

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until thoroughly combined. If adding mix-ins, pour mixture into a bowl, then stir in mix-ins. Scoop out portions with a large tablespoon and drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With slightly damp hands (the water prevents the mixture from sticking to your fingers), form each banana bread bite into a ball shape. Since these don't spread, you can place each bite as close as a 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake at 275 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the bottom of each bite is lightly browned.

Recipe notes:
1. I usually double this recipe, especially when making for more than our family of six. If, like mine, your food processor can't handle all the ingredients in one go, process 3 cups of the oats into oat flour and place in a bowl. Then process the remaining cup of oats with the other ingredients. Then add to the bowl and stir in the remaining oats plus any mix ins.
2. I think this recipe works best with perfectly to just a tad over-ripe bananas to avoid an overpowering banana taste.
*3. If you're adding unsweetened cocoa powder, I recommend blending this into the other ingredients with the food processor.
4. If you can't find date paste (I get mine at a middle eastern convenience/market store), use 1 1/4 c. firmly packed and pitted Medjool dates. If the dates are dry, soaking them in warm water 20 minutes before using.
5. I get my dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips from Trader Joe's and order my fair trade cacao nibs from vitacost.

anti-candida noatmeal (gluten free)

Earlier this year, I felt God was leading me to do a three-month sugar fast. It's one I'd resisted for some time because, well, how do you do life without sugar? It's in everything.

However, based on symptoms I was having, I strongly suspected a candida (yeast) overgrowth in my system and couldn't ignore it any longer. In this days of high antibiotic and high sugar use combined with high stress, it's quite easy to go from having some yeast in your body to one where the yeast takes over and causes all sorts of unpleasant side effects - many of which we put down to just feeling under the weather. If you google yeast overgrowth and/or anti-candida diet (ACD), you can learn more for the sake of keeping this post brief and because I'm not an expert*.

What I do know, however, is that 1) It is possible to live without sugar 2) The most annoying of my symptoms went away 3) I felt a lot better. 

One of the biggest challenges of the diet, especially during the very restrictive first month, was enjoying breakfast.

Before the ACD, I would look forward to the same fuss-free breakfast every morning: oatmeal with raisins, cinnamon, non-dairy milk, unsweetened shredded coconut and, occasionally, blueberries or almonds.

On the ACD which cuts out gluten, oats were out :( ,  so buckwheat was in.

It was hard to get used to. Especially without raisins (forbidden). And the coconut (allowed, but I chose not to).

So I experimented a little and threw some millet in there for good measure and by the end of the first month, I found my taste buds had adjusted to both the flavor and texture of this new breakfast.

If you are considering changing your diet, please be encouraged that the first month is the hardest. However, if you stick with it, your taste buds will adapt to the new palette of food you are eating.

Here's the recipe I ate for the majority of the ACD which I call "Noatmeal." As in "no oatmeal."

Anti-candida Noatmeal (recipe notes follow)
candida diet friendly, dairy free, gluten free, peanut-free, soy free, sugar free, vegan

1 cup raw buckwheat groats
1 cup millet
2.5 cups water

Suggested mix-ins (strict phase):
cinnamon
almond, hemp, coconut or rice milk (no soy)
almonds
flax seeds
coconut oil

Suggested mix-ins (post strict phase):
unsweetened, shredded coconut 
berries
raisins

Combine all the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Spoon into bowls and store any leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Recipe notes:

• One way of saving energy, it requires a little planning, is to prepare the noatmeal the night before. Bring the mixture a boil, then turn off the heat and let it sit overnight. By the morning, the water is absorbed and you've saved on your energy bill. 
• I always make more noatmeal than I need so I can reheat the leftovers
• During the strict phase I increased the fats in the noatmeal by adding almonds and coconut oil to prevent weight loss as I already shed some pounds when I changed to a vegan diet. If you're also looking to lose weight, leave out the coconut oil and maybe the almonds.

*It's often recommended to see a doctor before you make dietary changes, which is sound advice especially if you have existing medical conditions.

favorite asian inspired salad

 

Ever since I discovered the Thai-style peanut dressing and then modified it to this, I've been pouring it over a salad of sturdy veggies from the brassica family.

At it's most basic (and when I'm in a hurry and running low on ingredients), I tear up kale, dice rutabaga, toss it all in a bowl and garnish it with the thai dressing and sunflower seeds. If I have cabbage, cauliflower and leftover pasta (I use Trader Joe's brown rice fusili pasta) and sweet potato fries in they go too. Carrots occasionally will also make an appearance.

Since this salad has been a hit with many people and it's one I rarely go a week without preparing, I had to share. Feel free to adjust to your won favorite combo of veggies, though I'm not sure lettuce and it's cousins would work too well, though romaine might hold up okay.

In the recipe picture, the combination features kale, cabbage, carrots, a bit of onion, brown rice fusili and sunflower seeds along with the dressing. The recipe reflects how I would prepare it for guests and I've added other suggestions for mix-ins or mixing it up.

Asian Inspired Salad (recipe notes follow)
candida diet friendly*, dairy free gluten free, oil free, paleo friendly*, peanut free, refined sugar soy free, sugar free, vegan

kale, destemmed, roughly chopped
red or green cabbage, roughly sliced or shredded
carrots,*peeled into strips or shredded
green onions, finely sliced
sunflower seeds

Additional mix-in/combination options:
cauliflower, roughly chopped
sweet potato fries*, diced
rutabaga, diced
raw brussel sprouts, finely sliced or shredded
brown rice pasta*
red pepper, finely sliced

Prepare all veggies and mix together in a large bowl. Prepare the dressing (recipe here). If making for guests, prepare the basic recipe and provide additional mix-ins for each guest to customize their own salad.

recipe notes: omit these options for the strict portion of the candida diet and/or for a paleo-friendly salad

recipe review: warm nacho dip

I'm always on the lookout for new recipes to try and add to my repertoire of favorites and old standbys so I thought it would be fun to record recipes I try and note any changes I made.

First up is the "Life Affirming Warm Nacho Dip" from the Oh She Glows cookbook (found on page 83). I made this one over the weekend for a family gathering and it was a hit. Even with (most of) the kids...and we had all nine of the cousins there to sample it!

Here's the ingredient list for the original recipe:
cheese sauce:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked 2 hours to overnight
1 cup peeled, chopped, cooked carrots
2 T nutritional yeast
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove
1 1/4 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
2/3 cup water

dip:
1 cup chunky marinara sauce
1 cup finely chopped sweet onion
2 to 3 handfuls roughly chopped baby spinach
1/2 cups crushed corn chips or bread crumbs
1-2 finely sliced green onions for garnish (optional)

Before I made the recipe, I knew I'd want to sub in salsa for the marinara sauce and I adjusted the seasonings as I went along so I could reduce the salt content. If you're looking to cut back on salt, one of the tricks I learned is to amp up the quantities of your spices, sometimes by as much as doubling or tripling. I did include the cayenne, but only put in a dash. The corn chips/bread crumb topping also could be left off for dietary reasons, but it does put a nice finish on it.

Here's the recipe as I made it:

Warm Nacho Dip (recipe notes follow)

vegan, dairy free, gluten free, oil free, paleo friendly, sugar free

cheese sauce:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked 2 hours to overnight
1 cup peeled, chopped, cooked carrots
2 T nutritional yeast
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 large garlic cloves
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. onion powder
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
2/3 cup of water

dip:
1 cup salsa
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 to 3 handfuls roughly chopped spinach
1/2 cups crushed corn chips (optional)
1-2 finely sliced green onions for garnish

1. To soak the cashews, place in a bowl and cover with water. Then drain and rinse.
2. To ensure some of the vitamins from the carrots wouldn't do down the drain (literally!), I boiled them until they were fork tender and all the water had boiled off. If you try this, watch carefully or the carrots will burn. You also could steam them.
3. Place the soaked cashews, cooked carrots and remaining sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add more water if necessary.
4. In an oven safe dish combine the sauce with the salsa, onion and spinach and garnish with the corn chips if using.
5. Bake in a 350 oven, uncovered for 30-35 minutes, making sure your corn chips don't burn.
6. Garnish with green onions if using and serve immediately.

recipe notes:

• salt: when I originally made this, I used 1 tsp of regular table salt but still found this a bit salty, so I would try it next time with 3/4 tsp. salt as I reflected in the ingredients
• I used Pace Mild salsa which is sugar free
• I chopped the spinach a little more finely than "rough" to make it more kid-pleasing
• I think the green onions are essential as an added flavor layer but you could still leave it out
• although this recipe is meant to be warmed, I also enjoyed it cold