Tag Archives: Cane sugar free

Free! One-Bowl Chocolate Agave Peanut Butter Cups!

Posted on August 20, 2012 by | 6 comments

Good day, everyone! I am delighted by the weather we are having in the Northeast this week – temperatures are in the high 70s with low humidity and sunshine peeking through puffy, white clouds. The nights are cool, allowing us to abandon the air conditioners and listen to the birds and bugs outside our windows. The dress code is long-sleeved t-shirts and shorts – this is late summer at its finest. And our farm share is rewarding us with all sorts of fruits and vegetables…which I’ll talk about later because today I must share with you a recipe that MaryAnn discovered – for chocolate peanut butter cups that are free! They are free from gluten, yeast, dairy and refined sugars – and absolutely decadent!

MaryAnn found the original recipe for Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge and made a batch that we tried. They were so melt-in-your-mouth good that I decided to make them soon after for a picnic. I made a few minor changes. First of all, I doubled the recipe. These treats are too good to just make a small batch. Plus you can freeze them and pull them out whenever you get a craving for that fabulous combination of chocolate and peanut butter. I used agave nectar instead of honey, but as I have noted below you can use either interchangeably. And lastly, the directions mention either using a food processor or bowl and whisk to mix the ingredients together – I just stirred them for great results – why bother pulling out the appliances if you don’t need to? This is a fabulous concoction using only five ingredients, no baking or cooking is necessary, and the results are fantastic!

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut oil (slightly melted, but not hot)
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup natural peanut butter, softened
1/2 cup agave nectar (or honey)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:
Prepare muffin pans with 24 muffin liners.

Put all ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and nicely combined. (It will be very liquidy.)

Pour the liquid fudge into the prepared muffin liners dividing evenly between them (about two tablespoons of mixture in each).

Place the muffin pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (or in the freezer for 10 minutes) until hardened.

Remove the muffin liners from the pans and enjoy! Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

I am sharing this recipe with Simply Sugar and Gluten Free…and am happy to be featured too!

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Roasted Beet-le Mania!

Posted on August 13, 2012 by | 8 comments

This week in our farm share box among the tomatoes, corn, cantaloupe, and basil, sat a bunch of red beets and a bunch of golden beets. I was excited to see the beets because they are an easy and tasty side dish. However, I had never before seen golden beets. They were a bit smaller than their red counterpart and their skins were a bit paler. A little research revealed that red beets grow more quickly than yellow beets, and that is why farmers tend to plant more of them.

According to the George Mateljan Foundation, beets are “an excellent source of heart-healthy folate and a very good source of the antioxidants manganese and vitamin C as well as heart-healthy potassium. Beets are a good source of digestive-supportive dietary fiber, free radical scavenging copper, bone-healthy magnesium, and energy-producing iron and phosphorus.”

I started by peeling and chopping the yellow beets into chunks. When I did this, I found that the golden beets had a nice yellow flesh with reddish stripes running throughout. Then I diced the red beets – they have such a pretty deep purple hue. I roasted the beets separately with olive oil, salt and pepper, and then tossed them together once they were cooked – that way the red beets did not change the hue of the golden ones. SensitiveHusband and I enjoyed this side dish. The beets were sweet and the golden beets were even more tender than the red ones. If you see golden beets at the store or farm stand, pick them up – you won’t be disappointed!

Roasted Medley of Red and Golden Beets
Ingredients
1 bunch golden beets
1 bunch red beets
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation
Wash the beets and cut off the green stems. Peel the beets and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Place the beets in separate glass roasting pans. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and ground pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes. Place all of the beets in a serving bowl and enjoy!

I am sharing this recipe with Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Gastronomical Sovereignty and Food Trip Friday.

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Use Seasonal Fruits for Banana Berry Scones

Posted on July 23, 2012 by | 3 comments

This past weekend, I found myself looking at three bananas on the counter that were very ripe. I considered making a banana bread although I wanted to make something that also used some summery fruits. I cruised the Internet and found a great recipe from Fit Foodista for Low Fat, Whole Wheat Banana Cinnamon Scones. I already had the ingredients, including some fresh blueberries, and the preparation seemed easy so I decided to give this a try. Instead of using turbinado (cane) sugar, I used coconut palm sugar, and the result was just right and free from refined sugars. If you don’t have the palm sugar, you can use 1/4 cup of maple syrup instead and sprinkle the top with maple sugar if desired.

Yum! These scones are chewy and really moist, and the pieces of banana and blueberry add some nice sweetness. You could use any berries that are in season, or try chopped apples or pears and nuts in the fall. What a nice treat to enjoy with a cup of tea any time of the day or evening.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 cup chopped, very ripe banana
1/2 cup plain fat free yogurt
1/2 cup low fat milk

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine flours, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk together.

Slice butter and drop into dry ingredients. Use a knife or pastry cutter to cut the butter into tiny pieces and mix it into the flour.

Add bananas and gently stir.

Mix in milk and yogurt.

Form dough into a circle that is about an inch deep all around. Cut the circle into 8 slices.

Separate slices and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or foil.

Sprinkle the tops of the scones with a bit of sugar.

Bake for 18 minutes or until light brown.

I am sharing this recipe with Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage and Food Trip Friday.

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Cool Blueberry Gazpacho for the Hot Summer Weather

Posted on July 16, 2012 by | 8 comments

Good day, everyone! Are you taking advantage of the very summery weather? I am enjoying all of the beach days although my air conditioner is cranked on full blast nearly all of the time.

When I saw this recipe for “Royal Blueberry” Gazpacho with Lemon and Mint in the July 2012 issue of Cooking Light, I have to admit, I was interested. The hot summer weather makes a cool fruity soup sound like a great idea. Plus I had a plethora of blueberries since I came home from the grocery store with two pints (who can pass by a “buy one, get one free” deal?), and then later that week I received another pint from my farm share. Needless to say, I was looking for a good blueberry recipe. This one pairs the blueberries nicely with red seedless grapes. I served the soup, as the recipe suggested, as a sweet starter to our dinner of grilled salmon, potatoes and vegetables. It was great! This mixture would also make a tasty popsicle – just freeze the liquid into some molds. SensitiveHusband and I also agreed that it would be a delicious simple syrup to add to a refreshing beverage with vodka and ice.

To make the recipe a bit simpler (it was just too hot to dirty a food processor), I stirred the mixture and directly poured into a mesh sieve. I was also sure to use 100% grape juice to exclude the cane sugar from this dish.

Ingredients
1 pound red seedless grapes
12 ounces fresh blueberries
1/3-1/2 cup white grape juice (100% juice)
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation
1. Remove stems from fruit. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Place fruit in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add grape juice and honey; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.

2. Place blueberry mixture in a food processor; process until almost smooth. OR Stir the blueberry mixture briskly until all of the blueberries and grapes have split.

3. Strain; discard solids. Chill 2 hours.

4. Stir in rind, juice, and salt. Ladle about 1/2 cup into each of 5 chilled bowls.

I am sharing this recipe with Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Gastronomical Sovereignty, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, Food Trip Friday and Cybele Pascal Allegen-Friendly Cook.

Miz Helen’s Country Cottage

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Roasted Kohlrabi – Great Taste and Nutrition with Few Statistics

Posted on July 9, 2012 by | 7 comments

As I mentioned last week, I could not identify one of the vegetables included in my last farm share delivery. The vegetable looked like a purple turnip/cabbage with leaves attached to green stalks. Good thing the farm included a vegetable key – we had received kohlrabi!

Kohlrabi (pronounced “coal RAH bee”) comes from the German words kohl, meaning cabbage, and rabi, meaning turnip. Its name is a perfect description of this vegetable. Even though the variety we received had a dark purple skin, it peels off easily to reveal a light yellow flesh. After sampling the roasted kohlrabi, SensitiveHusband and I agreed that it tastes like a turnip without any bitterness. This means that you can cook the vegetable with a variety of seasonings and they will flavor the mild kohlrabi very nicely.

Kohlrabi has a lot of nutrients (information from Nutrition and You):
*Kohlrabi is rich in vitamins such as potassium and manganese, and dietary fiber, but has only 27 calories per 100 g, virtually no fat, and zero cholesterol.
*Like other members of the brassica family, kohlrabi contains health-promoting phytochemicals such as isothiocyanates, sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol.
*The vegetable contains good amounts of many B-complex vitamins such as niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, and pantothenic acid.
*Its creamy color flesh contains small amounts of vitamin A and carotenes. Kohlrabi leaves, like turnip greens, are also abundant in carotenes, vitamin A, vitamin K, minerals, and B-complex vitamins.

The commercial production of kohlrabi is relatively low in the U.S. so there are not many statistics about the production or consumption of the vegetable. Perhaps in the coming years, as more people find them in their farm share boxes, try cooking them, and finding that they are tasty, consumption will increase and so will the statistics! Try this simple recipe below and see how tasty kohlrabi can be.

Ingredients:
2 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, sliced or minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated Asiago (or other melty) cheese

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut the kohlrabi into 1/4 inch thick slices, then cut each slice in half. Combine olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi slices in the olive oil mixture to coat. Spread kohlrabi in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven to allow the cheese to brown, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

I am sharing this recipe with Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Food Trip Friday, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage and Gastronomical Sovereignty.

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Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake

Posted on July 2, 2012 by | 6 comments

As I write my latest post, SensitiveHusband and I are roasting kohlrabi to have alongside tonight’s entree. “Kohlrabi?” you might ask…which is just what I thought last week when I found it in our farm share box. This variety looks like a purple turnip. I’ll write more once we taste it…

Now I’ll talk about the lovely cake featured in the photo. It’s a blueberry-lemon bundt cake! I was inspired by a Martha Stewart recipe, and knew that FIL* would like the lemony, pound cake-like creation. Since we were going to MIL^ and FIL’s house for dinner, I decided to treat them with this dessert.

I substituted the sugar with agave nectar – I thought the neutral taste of the agave would work well with the light lemon and blueberry flavors. The original recipe called for two sticks of butter, so I lightened up the recipe by using one stick of butter and 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. And instead of 1 cup of sour cream (not my favorite), I used what was in my fridge – 1 cup of plain yogurt (much better). The dusting of confectioners’ sugar as a finishing touch can be simulated with coconut palm sugar in order to have no refined sugars in this recipe.

The cake was a hit – everyone around the table enjoyed the dessert, including FIL and my littlest nephew! They shared two pieces, although I think my nephew may have eaten all the blueberry-filled pieces that my FIL had! This is a great dessert that could also be eaten for breakfast since it’s not too sweet, and it would go nicely at a summer picnic. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 teaspoon for blueberries and zest
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/3 cup agave nectar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt
2 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
Coconut palm sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk 2 1/2 cups flour with baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and agave nectar on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of yogurt. Mix until fully incorporated.

In a bowl, toss blueberries and zest with remaining teaspoon flour; gently fold into batter. Coat a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan (or two loaf pans) with cooking spray or a light coat of butter. Spread batter in prepared pan(s).

Bake cake on bottom rack of oven until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes. Invert onto a rack; cool completely, top side up. Dust with coconut palm sugar before serving, if desired (sure!).

Key
*FIL = father-in-law
^MIL = mother-in-law

I am sharing this recipe with Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, Something Swanky and Food Trip Friday.

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Naturally Sweetened Nut Butter Cookies

Posted on June 18, 2012 by | 4 comments

Peanut butter cookies are tasty, especially ones that combine a satisfying crunch with chewiness. You may ask, “how can that be done?” Well, my friends, you can have a chewy cookie with a satisfying crunch if you add toasted oats and nuts to a cookie batter. I was inspired by a Martha Stewart recipe for Nutty Butter Cookies. I decided to reduce the amount of butter used, so I substituted with some unsweetened applesauce. I also substituted the refined sugar with a combination of maple syrup and honey. For my nut butter, I selected peanut, although I think almond butter would work really well too. Fortunately this recipe does not call for much nut butter, since the prices of nut butters have increased substantially during the first half of this year. I hope that you enjoy this recipe! And if you have not yet done so, please visit my home page to vote for your favorite dessert flavor. Are you a chocoholic? Or do you prefer plain vanilla? Perhaps a refreshing mint or zesty lemon? Just click the button for your choice and click “vote” – and then you will see the results so far. Thanks for participating! Enjoy your day, and your cookies.

Ingredients
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Coarse salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup honey
1 large egg
1/2 cup nut butter
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions
Melt 1/2 stick butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oats and cook, stirring, until toasted, 5 to 7 minutes. Spread oat mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet; let cool.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt. Beat together remaining 1/2 stick butter, applesauce, maple syrup and honey with a mixer on medium-high speed until fully combined. Add egg and beat until combined. Add nut butter, and beat on medium speed until well combined.

Add oat mixture and chopped nuts, and beat on low speed until combined. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined.

Place cookies, about a teaspoonful each, 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

I am sharing my recipe with Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Food Trip Friday, Cybele Pascal Allergen-Free Cooking and Sweet as Sugar Cookies.

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He Can Enjoy His Flourless Chocolate Cake and I Can Eat it Too!

Posted on June 10, 2012 by | 8 comments

This past week we enjoyed celebrating SensitiveHusband’s birthday. We had a wonderful time going out to dinner with family, taking a day off from work, giving gifts, and making a special birthday cake. My husband enjoys cakes that ooze with gooey, fudgy, chocolatey goodness – and I decided that creating a flourless chocolate cake would meet all of his favorite criteria (plus, I would really like it too). I started with a recipe that was originally developed by Gourment Magazine in November 1997 and revised by the Baking Bites blog last year. I liked this recipe because it only required six ingredients that already resided in my pantry and a double boiler was not needed. It looked like it would be relatively simple to remove the cane sugar. In fact, this cake was relatively easy to create. Top with fresh whipped cream and fruit, or just eat plain. It is delicious cold, at room temperature, and warmed, and it also freezes well. SensitiveHusband noted, “it was rich, delicious and decadent – it was a wonderful birthday cake.” Goal accomplished – he had his birthday cake and I enjoyed it too!

Ingredients:
4-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (Endangered Species has a brand that is gluten and cane sugar free)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375F. Line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.

In a small saucepan, melt together chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until very smooth.
Pour warm chocolate mixture into a medium mixing bowl with agave nectar. Whisk to combine. Beat in eggs one at a time, waiting until each has been fully incorporated to add the next, then mix in vanilla extract. Add cocoa powder into the bowl and whisk until well-combined.

Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

Allow cake to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a serving platter. Dust with cocoa powder, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 8-10.

I am sharing this recipe with Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, Food Trip Friday, Cybele Pascal Allergen Free Cuisine, Simple Living with Diane Balch and Sweet as Sugar Cookies.

Thank you, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, for featuring my recipe!

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Roasted Lemon Asparagus with Pancetta

Posted on June 4, 2012 by | 1 comment

Need a quick vegetable for tonight’s dinner? This recipe uses asparagus, which is in season at this time of year. I concocted this dish with a few things I found in my kitchen.

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 lb pancetta (about 4-5 slices)
Pepper

Preparation:
Slice or rip the pancetta into bite-sized pieces. After washing the asparagus, toss the first five ingredients together and line the asparagus in a glass pan. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. Asparagus will be tender and pancetta will be crispy. Once out of the oven, sprinkle with asiago cheese if desired. Enjoy!

I am sharing my recipe with Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Food Trip Friday, Simple Living with Diane Balch and Cybele Pascal Allergen-Free Cuisine.

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