A Guide to Feeding our Future

Archive for the ‘Desserts’ Category

Guilt-Free Chocolate Pudding

By: Susan Kingston, RHN – Montreal, QC

pudding

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • ¼ cup cacao powder (preferably raw cacoa)
  • ¼ cup raw honey or stevia to taste
  • ¼ cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a blender,.
  2. Chill and serve

 

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Category:

Desserts, Kid-approved, Snacks

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Peppermint Patties

By: Susan Kingston, RHN – Montreal, QC

peppermint-bark-1

“Enjoy this healthy candy alternative for the holiday season!”

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup melted 70 % dark chocolate
  • ½ cup melted coconut oil
  • 6-8 drops pure peppermint oil
  • optional: crushed candy cane for garnish

Directions:

  1. Mix all ingredients together.
  2. Lay in the bottom of a small pan and freeze.
  3. Break into pieces.
  4. Pull it out and eat whenever you are looking for a treat that tastes just like a peppermint patty!

Category:

Desserts

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Gluten-Free Banana Bread

By: Susan Kingston, RHN, NNCP – Montreal, QC

bananabread

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chickpea flour
  • 5 mashed bananas
  • 1/2 -3/4 cup maple syrup or other natural sweetener
  • 1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 6 TBSP yogurt or apple sauce
  • 2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter the baking dish.
  2.  Mix the chickpea flour and baking powder (and some cinnamon if desired) together in a bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl beat the eggs, maple syrup, natural yogurt (or apple sauce), mashed bananas and butter together until well combined and pour into the dry mixture.
  4. Stir until the wet and dry ingredients are well combined.
  5. Pour the batter into a bread loag pan. Bake the bread in the oven for 1 hr and check with a toothpick, as it may need 10 minutes more.

Category:

Breakfast, Desserts, Snacks

Rainy Day Sweet Loaf

By: Hollie M. Hunt-Last, D. C’Ed. ROHP/RHN – Moncton, NB

rainy day sweet loaf

“Do you like zucchini bread? Carrot cake? Banana bread? Wondering which one to make but can’t choose? Why decide between them when you can wrap them all up into one loaf? This is a perfect accompaniment to a rainy day and a cup of tea …”

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 4 ripe bananas
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • 1 cup spelt flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ cup raw organic sugar
  • ¾ cup shredded carrot
  • 1 cup shredded zucchini
  • ½ cup non-dairy chocolate chips
  • Optional ingredients : 1/3 cup walnuts, ¼ cup currents or raisins
  • Spices and flavorings : 1 TBSP vanilla extract, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Shred carrot and zucchini in advance.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°. Grease two loaf pans with oil.
  3. Combine all wet ingredients.
  4. Fold the dry ingredients into mixture, blending well.
  5. Pour into loaf pans.
  6. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes at 375°.

Note: this is a very moist loaf. If some spots seem to be uncooked, return to oven and monitor. It is not a firm holding loaf. Loaf sets more firmly with cooling .

Category:

Desserts, Snacks

Educated Eater Baking Tip

If you have a recipe that calls for both oil and honey (or molasses, agave, or other sticky substance), use this to your advantage:

Pour the pre-measured oil first into the measuring cup you will be using for the sticky ingredient, and empty it into your mixture. Then when the time comes to measure your sticky sugar substance, the proper measuring cup will already be prepped for you. Cleanup will be much easier and the syrup will simply slide right into your bowl!

Thanks to Dr. Hollie M. Hunt-Last, RHN (Moncton, NB) for this helpful baking tip!

Category:

Breakfast, Desserts, Snacks

Frosty Zucchini Orange Balls

By: Hollie M. Hunt-Last, D. C’Ed. ROHP/RHN – Moncton, NB

zucchini balls

“If you liked the carrot balls from an earlier post, you will also like these – there is no baking and they are a FROZEN TREAT! Great for the summer time! It’s the orange extract that gives them their refreshing flavor.”

Prep time: 15 min (+soaking almonds + chilling time)

Yields: approx. 15 balls

 Ingredients:

  • 1 cup shredded fresh zucchini (one medium-sized zucchini)
  • 3/4 cup pre-soaked almonds *
  • 2/3 cup minute oats
  • 1/4 cup coconut nectar (or honey or agave syrup)
  • 1/4 cup dried cherries or cranberries or currents or raisins (pick just one type of dried fruit)
  • 1/3 cup diced fresh pineapple
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tsp EACH orange and vanilla extracts
  • ½ tsp EACH ginger and nutmeg
  • Optional topping: sesame seeds

Directions:

  1. Shred FRESH zucchini in food processor with the grater blade.
  2. Transfer to large bowl. Add diced pineapple, dried fruit, flavorings, and walnuts.
  3. Insert knife blade into food processor.
  4. Add minute oats. Allow to process until they are refined, but not turned to flour. Add to bowl.
  5. Put the drained, soaked almonds in the food processor with the knife blade. Allow to process until they are mealy, with a slight crunch, and not turned to butter. Leave the almonds in processor.
  6. Add the complete mixture of the bowl to food processor with almonds. Blend just until well mixed together.
  7. Pour the ingredients into the bowl and scoop out one ball at a time, ‘forming’ gently with fingers.
  8. Sprinkle the balls with sesame seeds (black and white) if desired.
  9. Store in FREEZER, as these will not retain their form when thawed. Not to worry – they won’t get too hard to eat. They are, however, best when they are ALMOST frozen; so, keep in freezer and set out for 15 minutes or so before serving. Best put on wax paper and not directly on the plate.

Notes:

* Almonds take approximately 6 hours to fully soak. Soaked almonds should be kept in the refrigerator.

 

 

Category:

Desserts, Kid-approved, Snacks

No Bake – No Cake Carrot Balls

By: Hollie M. Hunt-Last, D. C’Ed. ROHP/RHN – Moncton, NB

“These tasty balls are gluten, egg, and dairy free! They are made mostly in a food processor, so cleanup is easy. Great for the summer time, when you do not want to turn on your oven. They are destined to be a party favorite!”

carrot balls

Prep time: 15 min (+soaking almonds + chilling time)

Yields: approx. 10 hearty balls or 15 mini ones

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup grated carrots (approximately 2 med/lrg carrots)
  • 1/4 cup currents (or raisins)
  • 1/3 cup diced pineapple (fresh or canned)
  • 3/4 cup PRE- soaked almonds, drained *
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup honey (or agave nectar)
  • 1/2 tsp each: sea salt, cinnamon, allspice, ginger
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup minute oats **
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 TBSP oil of your choice

 Directions:

  1. Peel carrots and shred them in the food processor with the grater blade.
  2. Transfer shredded carrot to large bowl. Add diced pineapple, currents, flavorings, oil, and walnuts.
  3. Insert knife blade into food processor.
  4. Add minute oats (if using in this recipe) to food processor and allow to process until they are refined, but not turned to flour. Add to bowl.
  5. Put the drained, soaked almonds in the food processor with the knife blade. Allow to process until they are mealy, with a slight crunch, and not turned to butter. Leave the almonds in processor.
  6. Add to the almonds the complete mixture of the bowl. Blend just until well mixed together.
  7. Pour the ingredients into the bowl and scoop out one ball at a time, forming it in your hands.
  8. Roll the balls in shredded coconut if desired.
  9. Chill or freeze before serving. If you are taking these to a gathering, you may prefer to put these into small paper muffin cups as they can be messy and easily lose their form.

Notes:

*Almonds take approximately 6 hours to fully soak. Soaked almonds should be kept in the refrigerator.

**The oats with this recipe will make the balls more solid. You can choose to omit this ingredient if you cannot find gluten free oats and this is a concern. Without the oats, you can keep these in the freezer to hold their form. They will be more flavourful without the extra bulk of the oats, but still very tasty.

 

 

 

Category:

Desserts, Kid-approved, Snacks

JULY Feature Food: Strawberries

By: Suzanne Brett, RHN – Victoria, BC

strawberries for July

By this time of year, there is more sunshine, warmth and the first of the berries are popping through their flowering friends.

Among the first of the berries to arrive are strawberries.  If you’re growing your own (and the deer aren’t chomping on them before you get a chance to), awesome!  If you’re not, ensure you’re buying organic and as local as possible for the most nutrient dense strawberries.

Most strawberries are sprayed with pesticides and mould resisters abundantly.  If you have happy strawberries in your possession that have not been heavily treated, you hold the food that’s 3rd highest in anti-oxidants.  Wow!

Strawberries are also great for helping regulate blood sugar and they contain many anti-inflammatory properties.  Their nutrient profile consists of lots of Vitamin C, manganese, potassium, magnesium, copper, fiber, iodine, B6, biotin, phosphorus and Omega 3 fatty acids.  Yet another WOW! You can bet strawberries are a great way of restoring lost electrolytes.

My favorite way of eating strawberries, aside from while I’m harvesting them off the bush, is with herbs, molasses and balsamic.  Yup!  Check out my quick and easy strawberry dessert recipe here:

Tarragon Strawberries with Balsamic Molasses:

strawberries

Ingredients:

  • 1 pint or 20-25 strawberries
  • 1 cup black balsamic (or white balsamic to avoid the reduction step – in which case, eliminate the sugar as well)
  • ½ cup molasses
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 handful fresh tarragon (winter savory, basil and pineapple sage also work great)
  • 1-2 cracks of fresh black pepper

Directions:

  1. In a saucepan on medium-low heat, add balsamic and sugar.
  2. Reduce to nearly half.
  3. Wash, de-stem and slice strawberries lengthwise.
  4. Rinse tarragon.  Pat dry.
  5. Remove balsamic reduction from heat and add in molasses.
  6. Let cool.
  7. Plate (or bowl) strawberries, drizzle sauce and sprinkle fresh tarragon leaves and cracked black pepper on top.

 

Category:

Desserts, Feature Food of the Month

Raw Raspberry Pie

By:  Martine Cormier, RHN – Moncton, NB

Image

Yields: One 9 inch pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 2 Cups pecans, soaked for 30 minutes
  • 6 large dates, soaked for 15 minutes, pitted (Medjool dates suggested)
  • 4 TBSP raw or regular cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla powder or vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp agave nectar or maple syrup
  • Shredded coconut (optional)

Filling:

  • 3 Cups raspberries
  • ½ Cup sliced strawberries
  • 3 TBSP agave nectar or maple syrup (to taste)
  • 2 1/2 TBSP psyllium husk

Directions:

  1. Put all crust ingredients into food processor with S-blade. Mix on high until ball is formed. Press into 9-inch pie pan.
  2. Put filling ingredients into blender and blend until thoroughly mixed.
  3. Pour over pie crust, sprinkle with coconut if using, and refrigerate overnight.

Category:

Desserts

Coconut Almond Delights

By: Hollie M. Hunt-Last, D. C’Ed. ROHP/RHN – Moncton, NB

A healthy treat that’s low in sugar and adds to your daily intake of protein and good fats!

Hollie's treat recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ Cups pre-soaked raw almonds
  • 1 Cup unsweetened organic coconut
  • ½ Cup brown rice syrup
  • ¼ Cup Sucanat, + a pinch of Stevia
  • ¼ tsp each of vanilla and almond extract
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
  • ¼ Cup melted coconut oil
  • 5 TBSP coconut milk
  • ¼ Cup whole spelt flour
  • 2 eggs

Directions:

  1. Soak raw almonds in water overnight.
  2. Grind the soaked almonds in a blender, until ground but still chunky.
  3. Blend all other ingredients together in a bowl and spoon onto a cookie sheet.
  4. Bake at 350 for 15- 20 minutes (oven times will vary – waited to see brown edges)
  5. Enjoy!

Category:

Desserts, Kid-approved, Snacks