PB Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

For the days when you really need something sweet and want to stay on track with your healthy eating habits. This PB Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough will do the trick. It's protein packed, full of healthy fats, gluten free, and made without refined sugars. 

PB Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Ingredients:
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (Tera's Whey)
1 tablespoon Pb2 powder
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon chocolate chips
Salt to sprinkle on top (optional)

To make:
 In a small bowl, add all ingredients except chocolate chips and salt. Using a fork, mix to incorporate all ingredients until a dough consistency forms. Add chocolate chips and stir into dough. Transfer to a bowl and top with a sprinkle of salt.

Lauren's Fruit Cobbler

Years ago my dad dated a women named Lauren. I remember the night my brother and I met her for the first time. I had a preconceived notion she was going to be some young bimbo. I guess that says more about my dad. Anyway, she was great. She was a lovely woman. Over the years we spent a lot of time together. I will always remember what a great cook she was. On our beach outings, she would pack a picnic with the most amazing sandwiches. One day she served us a piece of her fruit cobbler. Oh my, it was amazing! The best cobbler I had ever tasted. So buttery and delicious. It was always such a treat when she would make it. I had gotten the recipe from her but never made it until now. I had been thinking in my head of how I wanted to make a gluten free version. The original recipe calls for self rising flour and sugar. I tweaked the recipe to make it gluten and refined sugar free. It still tastes just like that amazing cobbler I had years ago.

This recipe is great because you can use whatever fresh fruit you prefer. The first time I made it, I used strawberries and blueberries. This time around I used fresh apricots from my friend Wallace’s tree.

Lauren's Fruit Cobbler,
Gluten and Refined Sugar Free

What you will need:

1/4 cup brown rice flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 almond milk, unsweetened (soy or regular would work as well.)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups fresh fruit of your choice (if using stone fruits, pit first and then measure.)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut sugar

To make:

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 9 inch baking dish, preferably glass or ceramic. I just do this right over the burner on the stove.

In another bowl, sift together your flour blend and coconut sugar. Add milk and mix well to combine.

In a pot add your fruit, honey and coconut sugar. Substitute honey for the coconut sugar if you prefer. You can always adjust the amount of sweetener used depending on how sweet the fruit is. Heat until the sugar has melted and fruit is warm but not cooked.

To assemble, take the baking dish with melted butter, pour batter mixture into the middle. Again, into the middle, add the warm fruit mixture. Do not spread out!

Place in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden and crisp on top. Serve warm or cool. I like it best served with vanilla ice cream.

Salted Cashew Cranberry Ginger Bark

 Who doesn't love chocolate? Well, some people don't but there are many that do. Especially women and especially around that time of the month. Chocolate is rich in magnesium and can also boost levels of serotonin which are often times lowered in women during pms and menstruation. Instead of just eating a piece of chocolate, I thought I'd add some health promoting foods to make it even better.

I love ginger. It's a great warming herb as well as a digestive aid. It has antiviral properties and is also said to reduce inflammation in the body.

Cashews are full of healthy fats along with being a rich source of copper and magnesium.

Cranberries provide antioxidant protection. They are a great source of vitamin C.

 

Salted Cashew Cranberry Ginger Bark

3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped roasted and salted cashews plus some for topping

1/4 cup fruit juice sweetened dried cranberries plus more for topping

1 teaspoon grated ginger plus more for topping

1 teaspoon coconut sugar (optional)

Generous pinch of salt

Using a double boiler or a makeshift one (small pot with a metal bowl placed on top) melt down the chocolate. When it's about halfway melted, add the grated ginger. Once all the chocolate has melted add the chopped cashews and cranberries. Mix well to combine. Transfer mixture to a wax paper or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spread the mixture out evenly and top with remaining cashews, cranberries and grated ginger. I mixed the grated ginger with a little coconut sugar for texture. I like the way it came out. Lastly, top the bark with a generous pinch of kosher salt sprinkled over evenly. Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes or until the bark has hardened.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

 The simplicity of chocolate chip cookies sounds so comforting. My migraine came on yesterday afternoon and is finally almost on it's way out. I felt so horrible all morning. I was well taken care of, though. Coffee and a yummy omelette were brought to me in bed this morning. 

My boyfriend is the sweetest!

 Staying home sounded like the best plan for me today. When I used to stay home sick from school as a kid I always baked during the day. Most of the time I just pretended to be sick. I never liked school. So for today, baking seemed like a good idea. Something simple, easy, and comforting. Chocolate chip cookies fit the bill. These aren't the classic cookies I remember from my childhood but a healthy updated version that satisfies my sweet tooth these days as I try my best to avoid gluten and sugar. These cookies are almost sugar free. I used bittersweet dark chocolate chips. As much as I use unsweetened carob chips for everything, I knew the result wouldn't be the same... They just don't melt like real chocolate. The recipe I used was from Elana's Pantry. It calls for yacon syrup as the sweetener. For those that aren't familiar, yacon syrup is derived from the root of the yacon plant native to South America. It is free of glucose, therefore having a low glycemic index which doesn't spike blood sugar. It's great for diabetics and people who follow a candida conscience diet. I used to use yacon in most of my dessert making until I discovered Jerusalem artichoke syrup. It has pretty much the same properties of yacon and an almost identical taste. Plus it's about half the price so it's what I use now. Two other changes I made to the recipe was using almond extract instead of vanilla and replacing 1 Tablespoon of almond meal with ground flax. I love the flavor the almond extract gives to the cookies.

Hope everyone has a lovely day! Today is my Sunday so I'm excited to go back to work tomorrow.

Peanut Butter Carob Chip Cookie Dough...Yes, It's sugar free!

 

 Being on such a restricted diet where I can't even eat fruit makes it difficult to really satisfy my sweet tooth. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love sweets. I do have to say, with all the restrictions, it forces me to be much more creative in my dessert making abilities. As always, I was browsing through foodgawker last night before going to bed. I came across a post from Chocolate Covered Katie. It was for No Sugar Cookie Dough Dip. I read through the recipe but it called for dates. Since I always like to alter recipes anyway I figured I would try to make a variation sans the dates. This morning after I got home from work and made some yummy breakfast tacos, I started thinking about that cookie dough again. Time for another experiment in my kitchen... these are my favorite ways to pass time. Being just an experiment, the recipe does not have exact measurements. Here it is if anyone would like to try it.

Peanut Butter Carob Chip Cookie Dough

Approx 3/4 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

3 Tablespoons crunchy peanut butter

Scant 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt and pinch of baking soda

3 Tablespoons almond milk

About a dropper full of liquid stevia

Blend in food processor until smooth. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times.

Transfer into a bowl and fold in about a handful of unsweetened carob chips.

Enjoy right away or place the fridge.

I did both... I'm saving the rest for later.

My breakfast tacos... These were seriously good.

Carrot Pudding

I feel like it's been too long since I did a post. My little Macbook got sick last week so I had to take it into the shop to get fixed. I didn't get it back till midweek. Allright, back to the yummy food that fills this blog. Today I was craving something sweet and didn't want to give in to bad habits. I had picked up some carrots at the farmers market this week and decided to make a carrot pudding. I always enjoy eating this at Indian restaurants. I have never made this before nor do I know what spices are typically used so I did what I do best and came up with a fairly authentic version. To accompany my pudding I made spiced cashews. Serving the pudding in an espresso cup made this sweet and healthy snack the perfect portion size.

Carrot Pudding Recipe

what you will need:

2-4 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 inch fresh ginger, grated

1 tablespoon yacon syrup

5-8 drops stevia (depending on your taste)

1 teaspoon cinnamon or more to taste

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

1 tablespoon butter

how to make:

steam carrots until very tender

in a food processor, combine carrots and all other ingredients

puree until you have a smooth consistancy

Like I have said before, I am not one to take exact measurements. You can adjust anything in this recipe to your own preference.

Spiced Cashews

what you will need:

1 cup raw or roasted unsalted cashews

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder

5 drops stevia

just enough grapeseed oil to very lightly coat the nuts

how to make:

preheat oven 275 degrees

combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well

you want the spices to coat the nuts

place on baking sheet with a splat or parchment papaer

toast in the oven for about 5 minutes or so