Tag: healthy dessert

Week 36

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With snow in the forecast for Tuesday, this may be the last zucchini recipe for awhile. Don’t rush to your tissue box yet, these brownies will leave you smiling, I promise!

Zucchini Brownies

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/3 cups coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3 cups finely shredded zucchini DO NOT DRAIN
  • 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks (optional, i omitted and opted to be naughty on half with peanut butter chips)
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F and prepare a 9×13 pan with butter or line with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, and vanilla until fully incorporated.
  3. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined. Batter will be very dry.
  4. Fold in zucchini by hand. Allow batter to rest for 5 minutes.
  5. Optional: Add in chocolate chunks and stir again. Batter should appear more wet. (if not, let it rest for 5 more minutes and stir again)
  6. Spread brownie mixture into the pan and bake for 25-35 minutes. Brownies are done with an inserted toothpick is removed with crumbs. There should not be wet batter on the toothpick.

What makes whole wheat better?

Wheat has three parts to it—the bran which is packed with fiber, the endosperm—the largest part of the seed and made up of mostly starch, and the germ—the nutrient-rich embryo of the seed. It is downright delicious but unfortunately white flour is made up of only the endosperm portion of the wheat, eliminating many of the grain’s nutrients. Whole wheat flour includes the bran, endosperm, and germ of the wheat grain, which gives it a slightly darker color and makes it more nutritious.

Why are whole grains important in preventing type 2 diabetes?

The exact reasons why whole grains are an important mechanism to prevent type 2 diabetes aren’t crystal-clear, but there are several theories:1

  • Whole grains improve insulin sensitivity, which means that the body uses blood sugar more effectively and efficiently.
  • Whole grains are digested more slowly which leads to a far slower increase in blood sugar levels after eating.
  • The nutrients in whole grains plus the fiber content help to lower our body’s level of inflammation which is strongly associated with type 2 diabetes.
  • The fiber in whole grains is incompletely digested in the gastrointestinal tract which produces short-chain fatty acids which decrease insulin sensitivity.

Are certain types of whole grains more effective in preventing type 2 diabetes?

Recent research with 55,000 participants over 15 years from the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and the Danish Cancer Society Research Center confirms decades of previous research findings on the importance of whole grains for prevention of type 2 diabetes. In this study, any type of whole grain provided similar benefits.1

How many servings of whole grains per day are necessary?

In the Swedish and Danish study, each serving of whole grain was associated with an 11% lower risk of type 2 diabetes for men and a 7% lower risk for women.1 A large meta-analysis of 16 studies recommends consuming 2-3 servings of whole grains per day to decrease risk of developing type 2 diabetes.2

References

  1. Cecilie Kyrø, Anne Tjønneland, Kim Overvad, Anja Olsen, Rikard Landberg; Higher Whole-Grain Intake Is Associated with Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes among Middle-Aged Men and Women: The Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Cohort, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 148, Issue 9, 1 September 2018, Pages 1434–1444. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxy112
  2. Aune D, Norat T, Romundstad P, Vatten LJ. Whole grain and refined grain consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes:  a systematic review and dose-response meta-analaysis of cohort studies. Eur J Epidemiol. 2013 Nov;28(11):845-58. doi: 10.1007/s10654-013-9852-5. Epub 2013 Oct 25.

Week 33

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Fruit Tarts

Every ingredient in this treasure is made possible by pollinators 🐝 thank you bees

These are delightful, it’s hard to stop at one!

Almond flour is high in protein, manganese, vitamin E and monounsaturated fats, low in Carbohydrates, and contains fiber. 

Greek yogurt is full of protein, probiotics, B12, potassium, a work out recovery food, iodine, and calcium.

Berries are loaded with antioxidants, help improve blood sugar levels and insulin response, help fight inflammation, and help lower cholesterol.

Recipe

Crust

  • 2.5 cups almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbsp. cold butter
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 egg white

Filling

  • 8 oz. greek yogurt (vanilla or whatever you like)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 1/4 tsp. cardamom
  • 1 cup berries of choice

Stir together almond flour and salt. Use fork to cut butter into mixture until a rough sand texture forms. Add honey, apple cidee vinegar, and egg white and mix. Divide evenly between 12 greased muffin cups, then use your fingers to press into a tart shape. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are golden.

Stir together yogurt, honey, cardamom, and vanilla. When tarts are completely cool, fill with yogurt mix, then top with berries and an extra drizzle of honey.

Enjoy!

Week 17

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Ramadan started this week, so in honor of, I made Sfouf (Turmeric Cake) 🥰

Sfouf is a Middle Eastern semolina turmeric cake, made with simple ingredients, no eggs and no butter. It’s vegan-friendly, light and simply delightful!

In line with the Coronavirus miniseries of shelf stable snacks, all these ingredients were in my pantry. I did not have semolina flour, so I substituted flaxseed and rice flour, also reduced the amount of sugar by half👌

Recipe

  • 1 ½ cup coarse semolina or fine, or mixture of both
  • ½ cup all-purpose or cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ cup canola oil or other neutral oil
  • 1 cups milk
  • 1 cup cane sugar (I used half this amount and they taste great)
  • 1-2 tablespoons tahini to grease the pan can be replaced with oil
  • Handful of pine nuts or almonds
  1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF and grease a 9×9″ baking pan with the tahini sesame oil or other oil.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients (semolina, flour, turmeric and baking powder) together in a large bowl.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients (canola oil, milk and cane sugar) in another small bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved in the mixture.
  4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients until batter is smooth and bright yellow. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle the pine nuts all over.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until the pine nuts are golden.
  6. Cool on a wire rack and cut into 16 squares or diamond shapes.

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 7 days at room temperature or about 10 days in the fridge.Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.

  • For tahini, you can substitute oil or butter
  • For the coarse semolina, you can also use fine semolina, but don’t use flour instead of semolina because it will not yield the right results
  • For the pine nuts, you can use almonds. Silvered almonds work well and make sure they are raw since they will be getting roasted in the oven.

Sourcing: You can find some of the Middle-Eastern specific items like the semolina and tahini at Middle Eastern markets, natural-foods stores or even in large supermarkets, often located with other Middle Eastern ingredients.

Week 16

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Continuing with the Coronavirus miniseries of shelf stable snacks, my sweet tooth decided on Black Bean Brownies.

Yes, I made this for breakfast. No, I don’t regret it.

Black beans are a great source of protein, fiber, and have a low glycemic index, which means they can help stabilize your blood sugar.

Recipe

  • 1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well)
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder 
  • 1/2 cup quick oats 
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
  • 2 tbsp sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup)
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips (Not optional. Omit at your own risk)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well.
  3. Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan.
  4. Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. If they still look a bit undercooked, you can place them in the fridge overnight and they will magically firm up! Makes 9-12 brownies.

One cup (172 grams) of cooked black beans contains roughly:

Calories: 227

Protein: 15.2 grams

Fiber: 15 grams

Folate (vitamin B9): 64% of the RDI

Manganese: 38% of the RDI

Magnesium: 30% of the RDI

Thiamine (vitamin B1): 28% of the RDI

Iron: 20% of the RDI

Week 15

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Continuing with the Coronavirus miniseries of shelf stable snacks, and in honor of Easter I made Chocolate Coconut Eggs.

I have to admit, they taste so better than a Cadbury Creme Egg! You have to eat them quick since the chocolate melts in your hands…..awe shucks

Recipe

  • 75 g shredded coconut
  • 70 g coconut oil melted
  • 3 tbsp. coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp. sugar ( I opted for brown sugar)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

  • 60 g coconut oil
  • 6 tsp. cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp. powdered sugar
  1. Mix shredded coconut, oil, milk, sugar and vanilla.
  2. Refrigerate until solid enough to roll into egg shapes.
  3. Roll small amounts into egg shapes and place in the fridge again to set completely.
  1. Mix coconut oil. cocoa powder, and powdered sugar together in a bowl.
  2. Place 1 Easter egg in the chocolate coating at a time. Using a spoon, turn the egg until completely covered.
  3. Place the chocolate coated eggs on a plate.
  4. Refrigerate until chocolate coating is set.

Week 14

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Continuing with the Coronavirus miniseries of shelf stable snacks, OATMEAL COOKIE SMOOTHIE is the winner this week!

🙏 Thank you past self for freezing a banana 🙏

This was sooo good, I didn’t have raisins so I decided to top with cranberries.

Recipe

  • 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 frozen (peeled) banana
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1–2 Tbsp. honey (to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • pinch of salt
  • (optional: 1/4 cup raisins)

  1. Add oats to blender, and pulse until finely ground.  Add remaining ingredients and pulse until blended and smooth.  Serve immediately.