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.

roasted eggplant pasta with pine nuts and basil

So far, our somewhat anemic garden has produced two japanese eggplants. And what better way to use them than to put them in pasta?!

Here's a super simple recipe that is quick to prepare and yummy to eat. The measurements are for a single serving but you can easily double it, triple it or plan it for a crowd. These measurements are also only a suggestion. If you like more or less eggplant, pine nuts or basil, adjust away.

Feel free to use your favorite marinara sauce. I'll be including the recipe for my favorite sauce on the blog in the near future, but it's your basic tomatogarliconionoreganosaltpepper kind of sauce.

I think this works best with the smaller, skinnier japanese eggplants, mostly from the visual aspect of eating, but the standard eggplants usually found in a grocery store will work as well.

roasted eggplant pasta with pine nuts and basil (recipe notes follow)
dairy free, gluten free, oil free, peanut free, soy free, sugar free, vegan
1 japanese eggplant

salt
pepper
garlic powder
pasta sauce
1/8 cup of pine nuts
2 T chopped basil
brown rice fusili (or favorite pasta)

To prepare the eggplant:

1. Scrub skin well with a veggie brush, then slice into rounds about 1/2" thick.
2. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder - as many dashes per your taste.
3. Place on a baking sheet or in a pie tin and put under the broiler, keeping a close watch on it so you don't burn the eggplant.
4. Cook 5-10 minutes, turning at least once, until each side is nicely toasted.

Meanwhile...
1. Prepare your pasta according to the package directions.
2. Warm your sauce, measure your pine nuts, rinse and chop your basil.

When everything is ready...
Spoon pasta into the bowl, add your sauce, then add the eggplant, pine nuts and basil.

Recipe notes:

• I usually use 2-3 dashes each of the seasonings
• I chose to roast the eggplant to keep this recipe oil free. No need to line or oil the pan or baking sheet. You could grill the eggplant instead if you like.
• I like the brown rice pasta from Trader Joe's for the price and the taste.

buckwheat, millet & oatmeal bowl (low-gluten, gluten free option)

Earlier this week, I posted a recipe for the breakfast I ate on the anti-candida diet. Though, at first I mourned the loss of the creamy texture and subtle sweetness of the oatmeal I ate for years, my taste buds gradually adjusted to the new flavor of the buckwheat and millet.

They adjusted so well in fact that by the time I could eat just the oats again, I found them to be lacking in flavor! LOL

Nowadays, my staple breakfast is a mostly buckwheat/millet mixture with just a couple spoonfuls of cooked oat groats to smooth out the texture and my favorite mix-ins. Though my body can tolerate gluten, I like looking for ways to reduce my intake of it.

If you are celiac and can tolerate oats, you can use gluten-free oat groats in your bowl. As with the other recipe, I cook up more than I will eat in one meal so that I can store the leftovers and reheat them.


Buckwheat, Millet & Oatmeal Bowl (recipe notes follow)  
dairy free, gluten free option, nut free option, peanut free, soy free, sugar free, vegan

1/2 c. raw buckwheat groats
1/2 c. millet
1 c. oat groats (gluten free if needed)
water

Mix-ins:
favorite dairy free milk
raisins
unsweetened coconut
cinnamon

1. In one pot combine buckwheat and millet with 1 1/4 cups of water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.*
2. In a separate pot, combine the oat groats with 3 cups of water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 50-60 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.**
3. Spoon desired amount of the cooked buckwheat/millet into a bowl and add in desired amount of the cook oats (I usually add 2-3 spoonfuls).
4. Add your favorite mix-ins.
5. Store the leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Recipe Notes & Money Saving Tip
*I posted here, how you can save money and energy by cooking the buckwheat and millet the night before.
**Oat groats are the best form of oats you can eat since they are unprocessed. As my doctor explained it, the longer it takes to cook, the longer it takes for your body to break it down which is optimal for avoiding spikes in insulin - key for diabetics (though I am not diabetic). It also sticks with you longer, staving off hunger for a longer time period. I also discovered that oat groats are more economical than buying steel cut or rolled oats because it has a higher water to oat ratio and therefore a higher yield. The only downside is its cooking time. However, God was gracious to show me a time and money saving tip by accident...the night before you want to eat them, bring the groats to a boil, simmer about 5 minutes, then turn off the burner and leave overnight. By morning, most of the water is absorbed. When you reheat them, it takes care of finishing the cooking process. Sure it takes a little planning, but it reaps huge time, energy and money savings.

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.

recipe review: curried chickpea cucumber wrap

With temperatures heating up, I excited to try this wrap from this blog. Another that I frequent in search of new recipes to try.

Kathy calls it the Sweet, Spicy, Curry Chickpea Cool Cucumber Wrap - a mouthful, but a delicious one. :) You can see the original recipe and pictures here.

Find my other recipe reviews here.

For the most part, I kept to the recipe with only a few modifications: I eliminated the coconut oil and raisins, kept the turmeric to 1 tsp, added an extra garlic clove, replaced the coconut sugar with date paste and reduced the pepper to a few dashes and did not add the apple cider vinegar to the cucumber salad. I also added lettuce to the wrap because I felt it needed it. The first time I tried it, I forgot the cashews. I think it tastes better with them in, but if you need to leave them out for dietary reasons, the wrap still is tasty.

Here's the recipe slightly re-wrapped:

Curried Chickpea Cucumber Wrap (recipe notes follow)
dairy free, fruit sweetened, nut free option, oil free, peanut free, soy free, sugar free, vegan

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
few dashes pepper
1 Tbsp date paste
15-17oz. chickpeas, cooked
2 extra large or 3 medium-large wraps
1-2 lettuce leaves per wrap
1/4 cup raw cashews (optional)

Cucumber Salad:
1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple, chopped or sliced in rounds
2 tsp tahini
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
pinch of black pepper

Saute the onion and garlic in a little water until softened, then add in the lemon juice, spices, and date paste. Stir to combine and break down the date paste and then add in the chickpeas. Meanwhile, prepare the cucumber salad and lettuce. To assemble the wraps, add the lettuce to the wrap first, then add the cucumber salad and chickpea mixture and sprinkle on the cashews. Roll up and enjoy.

Recipe notes: I might try this with a little coconut oil (as the recipe originally called for) next time I make it for the added flavor dimension and moisture. Either than or use unsweetened shredded coconut plus a little extra water. I think a sweetener of some sort is necessary for the recipe because it compliments the curry and I went with date paste to keep this sugar free. I also would try slicing the apples into rounds to mirror the shape of the cucumber. While the chickpea mixture can be stored in the fridge for a few days, I think the cucumber salad tastes best fresh so make only enough for your wraps or use it all.

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

621 thai dressing

In this past year, I've developed a taste for Thai food and in my quest for new recipes to try out, I stumbled upon a peanut-based Thai dressing here. Not only did it go well with stir fry, but I discovered it was an excellent dip for spring rolls and a yummy dressing for salads.

Then, earlier this year, I felt led to do a sugar fast to rid my body of what I suspected was a yeast overgrowth. Most candida diets also nix peanuts because of the mold it comes with as well as soy sauce. Challenging as that diet was, God encouraged me in that time to experiment with recipes - things I might not have tried otherwise.

Thankfully, almonds and the red curry paste still made the cut and coconut aminos works well as a soy sauce substitute.

So here's my new favorite dressing which I like even better because it is sugar free and is super simple to make. I call it the "621 Thai salad dressing" because the simple tablespoon and teaspoon measurements.

621 thai dressing (recipe notes follow)
sugar free, peanut free, soy free

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon red curry paste
6 tablespoon coconut aminos
6-8 tablespoon almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
6 tablespoons almond butter

Add all ingredients to a jar and stir or shake until thoroughly mixed. Add more almond milk if needed or for desired consistency.

recipe notes: I opted to create this recipe using garlic and ginger powered because it's quick and easy. Most days I would not have the patience to mince the garlic or ginger for the dressing. I recommend using organic powdered ginger or a brand that does not add sulfur.

I'm not sure how another type of non-dairy milk will affect the taste or consistency. If you use something else, try the recipe with 6 T first, and work your way up to perfect pourability.

I usually use roasted almond butter, either chunky or smooth. Raw almond butter would work too, but it might affect the taste/consistency.

snack happy: raw apple crisp

Last week, I shared this recipe on raw granola.

It's the foundation for several recipes I'll share over the next couple of weeks. Recipes designed to help fight the temptation to reach for something sugary and to fill you up with whole food, God-given goodness.

First up: an apple crisp makeover.

As desserts go, traditional apple crisp is on the healthier end of the scale. After all, it's chock full of the fruit that claims to keep the doctor away. However, the topping, and sometimes the filling, contains a lot of sugar.

In this raw version, the raw granola mimics the flavors and sweetness of the crisp topping and the cinnamon and raisins in the filling add extra zing and sweetness. It's so good, I've started eating it at breakfast.As a snack, it's filling and sweet-tooth satisfying - crunching your way through all that apply goodness should convince your brain and belly that you've had plenty to eat. 

Hungry? Here's the recipe for a single serving but it's easily doubled, tripled, quadrupled...

Raw Apple Crisp
1 apple(your favorite variety)
1-2 heaping spoonfuls raw granola (recipe here)
cinnamon to taste
raisins (optional)

Roughly dice apple and sprinkle with cinnamon. Add raisins to taste and spoon on the raw granola.

3-ingredient raw granola with gluten-free option

I remember going grocery shopping with my Nan in my younger adult years. I reached for granola and she commented on the sugar content in said box of granola. My response?

"It doesn't matter."

Oh, the folly of youth! And how our elders must smile when we begin to preach their wisdom right back at 'em.

Because I'm learning how much sugar does indeed matter and how it adversely affects our bodies, I'm looking for tasty ways to cut it out of my diet as much as possible. Doing a sugar fast for at least one month is one sure way of breaking the sugar addiction, but at some point, sugar begins to creep back into a diet, especially during holidays, special occasions, when you are with other people...I've concluded that unless you are a hermit, interact exclusively with fellow sugar-shunners, or delivered of the sugar-temptation by God, the desire to eat something sweet will, at some point, present itself.
 
So how to resist the urge to incorporate sugar back into your daily diet? Find sweet alternatives (although if you really struggle with sugar addiction, asking God for help is the only sure-fire way to beat it).

I created the following recipe for raw granola as part of a snack experiment (snack recipes to follow next week). It's quick, easy and versatile and I've included some ideas for flavor alternatives which I've not tested yet, so you're on your own there.

Without further ado...

1-2-3 Raw Granola
1 c raw pecans
1/2 c. date paste
1 c. old fashioned oats, organic is best, gluten-free if needed

Yield: About 2 cups
 
1. Place pecans in a food processor and blend until the nuts stick together (it becomes pecan butter). This may take about 5 minutes.
2. Add date paste and process until combined.
3. Add oats and process until just combined. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to one week.    

Taste options: While processing, add cinnamon or another favorite spice (start with 1/4 tsp and add more to taste) or try vanilla. After processing, stir in coconut, raisins, sunflower seeds, cranberries, raw pumpkin seeds or other dried fruit or nuts.

easy-as-pie dark chocolate dump cake

Gooey.
Chocolately.
Quick.
Easy.
Sugar free.
Oil free.
Gluten free.
Healthy.
Delicious.

Impossible to accomplish in just one recipe?

Not at all.

I've been experimenting with date paste and how to incorporate it into recipes to reduce or eliminate the need for added sugars, even unrefined sugars like maple syrup and agave nectar. Sugars suppress the immune system so cutting back on them, especially during cold & flu season, is one of my goals.

What I love about this recipe is that it takes just 5 ingredients for both the cake and the frosting.

There's only one thing that could make this cake sweeter: buying fair trade cocoa powder. 

 
Here's the harsh reality: Chocolate is a $2 billion industry. Want to guess how much the average cocoa farmer receives from these profits? Less than $2 per day - an annual income totaling less than $730. (See info from Oxfam here) That's my grocery bill, give or take a few dollars for one month!

Here's a harsher reality: It doesn't have to be this way. Anyone...you, me and every chocolate you know, can choose to buy chocolate only from companies that fairly compensate their workers for the cocoa they harvest. Look for the fair trade label and read about the company's practices on their labels and websites.

While fair trade chocolate costs more than slave chocolate, the cost not to do so is higher.

Here's one other free, fast way to further sweeten the deal: You can sign Oxfam's petition to tell Nestle, Mars and Mondelez (the three largest chocolate purchasers) to change their buying policies to make a positive difference in the lives of their farmers. Signing this petition takes less than one minute. Please consider doing so within the next 60 seconds.


And now, here's the recipe :):

Easy-as-Pie Dark Chocolate Dump Cake
3 c. date paste
3 c. almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
5 T fair trade* unsweetened cocoa powder + 3 T for icing
1 tsp baking soda
2 c flour (I used spelt, for gluten free option, I used brown rice flour)

1. In a medium saucepan combine date paste and non-dairy milk and warm over medium heat until the date paste breaks down and combines with the milk to make a smooth paste. A potato masher works best to help break up the paste.

2. Remove 2 cups of the date/milk mixture and set aside

3. Dump 5 T cocoa powder, baking soda and flour into the pot and stir to combine.

4. Pour mixture into a greased 8 x 11.5 baking dish and bake in a 275 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.

5. While the cake is baking, make the icing by returning the 2 reserved cups of the date/milk mixture, add 3 T cocoa powder and stir to combine. If the icing needs thickening, stir over medium heat until the desired consistency for your icing is reached. Spread icing over cooled cake.