Iced “Caramel” Coconut Custard (Vegan and “Raw”)

Due to the Texas heat, I recently kicked up my consumption of coconut water, and found myself with a debacle– too many Young Thai Coconuts living uneaten in my fridge, and not enough time to make my own coconut yogurt. Bummer.

However, a tragedy of coconuts was met with inspiration when combined with some new products I received courtesy of generous NuNaturals, and thus dessert became something infinitely more glamourous and decadent than the delightful coconuts themselves.

Behold, an Iced Caramel Coconut Custard to satisfy your ice cream cravings. This one is sure to put other dairy ridden delicacies to shame.

For the creamy custard base, I blended the meat of a few coconuts*, accounting for about 2 cups of thick white “meat,” with 1 cup of water. I am a fan of Young Thai Coconuts for their very subtle coconut flavor, creamy texture, and proposed anti-fungal and anti-bactertial properties. I often use them for desserts.

• 2 cups Young Thai Coconut meat, packed
• 1 cup water

*Note: (amount of coconut meat will vary per coconut- but if you get your hands on 2-3 medium Thai coconuts with white bottoms (as opposed to pink)– each coconut should contain about 1 cup of thick meat).

To lightly sweeten the dessert, I used NuNaturals Coconut Sugar (Crystallized Coconut Palm Nectar). Coconut sugar is considered to have a lower glycemic index than cane and beet sugars. Ultimately, it is a higher quality and better alternative to other processed and refined sugars, in addition to highly processed sugar substitutes like sucrose and aspartame. Although significantly less processed, and more “natural” than sugar itself, coconut sugar is not a weight loss supplement or a health food. While coconuts do have many nutrients and beneficial fatty acids, we are almost always better off consuming a food in it’s whole form– a.k.a. the whole raw coconut (except when juicing).

That all said, tasting a few of these little bad boy, brown sprinkles, I could not wait to try them out on the unsuspecting gentleman circling my kitchen (husband and boys).

Reminiscent of caramel, (which is essentially heated butter and sugar), the combination was light and can I dare to say, like a tickle to the taste buds? It was the absolute perfect compliment to my coconut mixture. (Which is not so surprising that “like” and “like” would pair well).

Lucky, lucky… My boys found themselves at the receiving end of this dreamy and creamy custard cloud of decadence, and you can too!

Full Ingredients and Method:

• 2 cups Young Thai Coconut meat, packed
• 1 cup water

Blended until smooth…

• 3 tbsp NuNaturals Coconut Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Red Ape Organic Cinnamon— This cinnamon is the real deal. Robust and fragrant in flavor, I have been adding it to my recipes ever since. Read more about it on NuNaturals website.
• 1 pinch pink sea salt

Blended until smooth…

• 2 cups ice
• 1 tbsp Maple Syrup Grade B

Pulse. Pulse. Blend. Blend.

Serve in 3 fancy glasses and finish with a generous sprinkling of coconut sugar, cinnamon, and freshly shaved (vegan) dark chocolate.

Bon appétit!

Read Full Post »

Happy Valentine’s Day! Two Quick Recipes!

Hello and Happy February 14th!

After an exhausting day yesterday, I was eager to jump in bed. But before I did, I wanted to leave you with two quick and romantic recipes. Trust me, they taste much more desirable than they look in this sleepy photos. 

Cashew Sun Milk

Makes about 4.5 cups.

• 3/4 cup organic raw cashews
• 1/4 cup organic raw sunflower seeds

Soak the nuts and seeds for around 3-4 hours in a bowl of water. (You do not have to soak but it is preferred– I made this beverage last night without soaking. The soaking softens their density making it easier to blend and for the water to absorb more flavors). Drain water and add nuts and seeds to a high-speed blender. Blend with 4 cups cool water. Strain through a “nut milk bag” (which can be purchased on amazon), over a large bowl. Squeeze the liquid into the bowl, leaving the “pulp” behind in the bag. Toss the pulp (or use it for another recipe), and add 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 14 drops alcohol free NuStevia, and/or 1 tbsp Maple Syrup, Grade B (optional). Stir and serve cool, or add to your tea or hot cacao.

Creamy. Delicious. A wonderful source of beautifying minerals.

Next up… Got a date? 

Grab two Medjool dates. Cut little slits down the top, exposing the pit inside. Remove pits and “stuff” each date with 2 tsp of raw almond butter. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and sea salt. Serve.

Dates are a great source of potassium, and fiber.

Bursting with sugar, dates taste like candy. This treat is decadent, delightful, and if you were planning to reach for a reeses, or commercial candy, it is a much better alternative to your traditional candy coated desserts. I had one of my client’s call this a healthy peanut butter cup, though clearly there is no chocolate.

Enjoy!

I personally love the cashew sun milk!

Read Full Post »

Oh wow- Double Chocolate Crunch Mousse– Totally Dairy Free, Vegan, Raw

The other night I celebrated my one year anniversary with my husband.

In all honesty, it feels like we have been married for eleven— At least ten years.

I never imagined being married with three children in my twenties! It has been quite the three hundred and sixty five days. I have absolutely fabulous kids, but without family around, it can be especially overwhelming at times– lunches, dinners, work, clients, love, juicing, health. I have learned that my time is oh-so-valuable and very little. I am learning to cherish each moment to myself, as well as to cherish every fabulous and fun moment that I have with the kids. Their giggles and bliss are contagious. It makes every hardship worth it.

For our anniversary, my husband surprised me by arranging for a sleepover for each of our three kiddos… ON A SCHOOL NIGHT. My first thoughts were a combination of fear and pleasure! “Oh my gosh! Fun! I won’t have to worry about their safety” vs. “Oh my word, these parents… another child? A school night… aye!” Of course I knew our kids would be 100% delighted, so that surely was not a worry. 

Thank goodness the kids have wonderful friends, and we have such great neighbors.

As part of the surprise, my husband, took me to the restaurant where we had our very first date and very first kiss. Although the food was… what I remembered, and the owner (who made us feel special), out of town… they were sweet enough to bring out a fancy creme brûlée to celebrate our big night together. Spoiled as I may be with my own recipes, and perfectly content with dark chocolate, I loved the gesture (which was clearly a concoction of milk and eggs). 

Did I feel left out? Oh no. I had bigger plans in mind.

Later that eve, while my husband was making a fire in the fire place, I decided to celebrate with something far more fabulous, and hormone, lactose, casein, albumin, and sugar free.

The “oh-so-fabulous avocado chocolate mousse” I cannot keep my hands off.

Just you wait.

Ready??

That evening I made the  60 second version (cocoa, avocado, and vanilla stevia). But you should carve out the 10 minutes to make this one!

Serves 4-6

• 4 large avocados, halved, pit removed
• 1 cup raw cacao (or 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa) 
• ½ cup dates, pitted and soaked in warm water for 10 min (if you are sugar sensitive, you can use more stevia and no dates!)
  
• 1 tbsp vanilla (or Vanilla Stevia) I like mine extra sweet! You can also use powdered stevia.
• 6 tbsp raw cacao nibs + some for sprinkling decor

Combine all ingredients in a food processor except for cocoa nibs. Process until smooth. Add cocoa nibs and process until mixed. Scoop out and chill in the fridge, or serve at room temperature. Garnish with cocoa nibs and unsweetened coconut flakes (optional).

You will love this mousse!

Creamy. Rich. Chocolaty. Indulgent.

On the upper upside? You can love this recipe without reeking havoc on your radiant skin and figure. Done. and Done.

Read Full Post »

Millet Double Chocolate Cookies– Vegan, Whole Grain, Gluten-Free

The men go out and play, and the girls stay home and…

slave over the oven?

Okay… maybe not slave. When not invited to the 10-year-old birthday celebration at some trampoline warehouse, I decided to try my hand (again) at baking– something that I am pretty close to terrible at doing (simply because I cannot help myself to attempt to make something “healthier” than the norm). 

Inspired by the insane and awesome work of ForgivingMartha, I desperately wanted to pretend I could do something even close to as beautiful and tasty. The result? Well… after a fun-filled sugary evening and some “ingredient risk-taking”, they were most certainly enjoyed (even after a filling birthday dinner for the boys). 

Thank goodness, because instead of using traditional wheat and treated (unbleached, bleached, enriched, etc.) flours, I decided on millet; a fluffy flour also the most alkaline of the grains. I also chose buckwheat as an additional flour.

• Buckwheat and Millet are both technically “gluten-free,” and in a grand hierarchy of grains– they are both at the top. The top of the hierarchy is nice. Check! Check! 

The other challenge? I did not use an ounce of any type of milk, or a single egg. While I cannot say I am too impressed with my photography, these cookies were pretty impressively tasty, while still being infinitely more balanced and better for the body. The good news was, because they were not stripped of all of their nutritional values like most grains, they were also filling (in a good way– not an empty and deprived sort of discomfort). 

Apparently, I just might have the potential to do some occasional baking.

Phew. Not so evil of a step-mom after all… and the boys were excited to bring some to school in their lunch boxes.

Millet Double Chocolate Cookies– Makes about 32 cookies

“light. rich. chocolatey” — husband

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix your dry ingredients in your mixing bowl of choice.

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups Millet flour
• 1/2 buckwheat flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 1 cup Enjoy Life Vegan Chocolate Chips (if you are looking for more of a chocolate chip look, add these in at the very end) 
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt

Mix your wet ingredients separately.

Wet Ingredients

• 3 tbsp raw coconut butter (Artisana)
• 14 tbsp hot water
• 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax seeds soaked in 4 tbsp warm/hot water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes)
• 4 tbsp Grade B Maple Syrup
• 1.5 tsp Vanilla NuStevia
• 4 tbsp raw honey

Then combine wet and dry. Whisk until mixture is smooth. (Add in your chocolate chips). Put the whole bowl in the fridge to allow mixture to harden for at least 8 minutes. Spoon out desired cookie size onto a sprayed cookie sheet.

Cook for about 10-12 minutes. When cookies are finished, carefully remove each cookie onto a new platter (or they will continue to cook on the hot pan). I baked 3 sheets of 12– one at a time. 

Serve warm with a glass of coconut milk, or… I hear they taste even better the next day after a cool evening in the fridge. Hello fudge!!

I dare you to give these cookies a try, and also do me a favor and make this recipe even better! What are your favorite dessert recipes? Do you have any millet suggestions?

Read Full Post »

Pineapple and The Miraculous Bromelain?

Lurking behind the pineapple’s prickly exterior is a golden flesh, heralded for its sweet citrusy flavor and enzyme–  bromelain.

Best eaten when just freshly sliced (fresh fruits and vegetables start to oxidize and begin to lose nutrients after slicing), and on an empty stomach, the enzyme in pineapple powerfully aids in digestion. Due to its digestive enhancement qualities, bromelain is commonly isolated and found in digestive enhancement supplements– a hot item on the market these days.

Aside from its important role in digestion, bromelain has an impressive resume.

Bromelain 

Experience: Naturally found in pineapple; looking to support the health and immunity of the body by enhancing digestion, and warding off inflammation.

Anti-Aging:

• Thought to reduce tissue irritation, helps to keep the skin youthful and glowing

Reduction of Inflammation:

• Considered a powerful anti-inflammatory and used to treat joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis

Injury Repair:

• Commonly used to combat swelling after post-traumatic stress

Cardiac Assistance:

• Research shows that there is a reduction in platelet aggregation
• Helps to reduce plaque build-up in arteries

Digestive Enhancement:

• Helps to breakdown food properly and completely for assimilation of nutrients

A Note on Isolation: It is easy to look at bromelain’s qualities and say: “I want that!” But regardless of what studies have shown, Mother Nature offers these exceptional nutrients as a package because they are meant to be consumed in their whole form. In other words, you cannot pick Bromelain from a tree, or expect an extraction of the the nutrient to work magic solo.

 

Pineapple offers this active enzyme in addition to various other nutrients, like vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium, and manganese, in addition to sugars, water, and fiber– galore!

This package deal, the UPD— as I like to refer to it as, helps us to better assimilate the nutrients.

We want Mother Nature’s UPD. We want the nourishment– a.k.a. the nutrients, that are more quickly digested (because they are natural– not a fortified recreation), and have the potential to be more readily absorbed in a healthy body. We also want the fiber, water, etc. that keeps things a’ moving in there, and helps us to naturally get rid of the toxic waste that slows down our productivity.

It would be like trying to get somewhere in a boat without a paddle, or trying to wrap a present without tape.

Could you do it?

Sure! The body is brilliant and creative.

But… would it take more energy?

Would it be done well?

Properly?

Completely?

Eh… Not so much. Whole foods work better together, instead of isolation. 

So eat your pineapple.

Enjoy the taste and the health benefits– but don’t forget about the UPD, and the rest of your diet.

Here is another article on Bromelain. More on supplementation here. 

Note: Due to it’s porous skin, try to enjoy organic pineapples, especially since pineapples are not one to be grown “locally.” 

 ~ – ~

NUNATURALS WINNERS

As for my winners- I have randomly chosen the following (4) to win NuNaturals new Lemon and Orange flavors!

1. Elizabeth:

“I am working on eliminating sugar, so this would is a perfect time to finally try stevia. I am especially intrugued by using it in homemade salad dressing. Store bought dressing has so much sugar! Thanks for offering the giveaway–love your blog!”

2. Kaitlyn:

“I have the origional flavwould love to try some flavored stevia! Smoothies, summer-y dressings, tea, homemade sorbet”

3. Katie-Lee:

“I liked them both on Facebook! I am new to your blog but I absolutely love it! Your health information is very insightful and all of your recipies sound amazing. I have actually never used any of NuNaturals products but I would love the opprotunity to do so. I am a college girl who is always looking for new, creative things to cook with. I would love to use the NuNatural orange and lemon flavors in my smoothies and my baking!”

4. Sunnie of MGN:

“Salad recipe looks amazing- thanks for sharing! I would definitely use the the NuNaturals in my smoothies to amp up flavor. I would also like to try marinating with them- particularly salmon. It would be so nice to have a different flavor than vanilla in my yogurt, too! Also, I liked your Facebook page.:)”

Thanks so much to all that entered! Please send me your shipping information, etc. so that I may pass it on to NuNaturals!

lauren@theglowdetoxdiet.com

Happy Monday!

Read Full Post »