Sprouting & Anti - Inflammatory Charts

I wanted to share 2 charts I came across in the last week that are really helpful

summaries of healthful eating. 

The first one deals with Anti-Inflammatory Dieting.

Courtesy of Dr. Weil, this chart really defines how we should choose our food.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02012/anti-inflammatory-diet

I've used this diet guideline for the past 2 years and it REALLY does help with joint pain.

Last week I recommitted myself to sticking with this food parameter again as part

of my Getting Back On Track efforts this month.

I'm using Vega smoothies daily for the next few months to take off 20 lbs.
They work perfectly with Anti Inflammatory Dieting.

The second chart is goes hand in hand with Dr. Weil's Diet guidelines.

SPOUTING!!

I fell in love with spouting foods last spring and this chart is wonderful at organizing

techniques and general information.

When I saw it on Anna's Facebook page, I knew I had to save it for a reference.

Do any of you sprout your food?

Any good ideas for keeping the sprouts fresh longer, or what your favorite tastes are?

Great references here.  Thanks Anna, thanks Dr. Weil!

Lentil Flax Seed Pancakes w/ Sunflower Seed Mocha Butter

One thing that Gluten Free/Dairy Free/Sugar Free Dieters miss is pancakes

drizzled with butter and syrup..............

...............Not any more though!

I'm starting a strict anti-inflammatory diet for a week or two to help with some joint pains.
Two wonderful foods on the plan are Lentils and Flax Seed.
But if the healthy food doesn't taste really good, are you really going to keep eating it?

These pancakes were really simple and REALLY Good! 

It always helps to stay on track when your food is delicious.............

This recipe starts off with some ground flax seed for healthy digestion and folic acid. 

I try to eat 3 Tbs. of ground flax each day. 

Be sure to grind it fresh and/ or store it in the freezer for optimal nutrition.

Here's the super simple recipe:

Lentil & Flax Seed Pancakes

Mix the dry ingredients, then mix in the water & vanilla
and let sit for a few minutes. 
Add water if its  too thick.
The batter will be more thin than gloppy.

Drop spoonfuls onto a greased heated fry pan.
Fry up each side for about 3 minutes.

1 - 1 1/4 Cups Filtered Water
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

3 Tbs. Ground Flax Seed
3/4 Cup Lentil Flour (grind Lentils into a powder  -  that's it)
1/2 tsp. Powdered Stevia *or 2 Tbs. of honey
1 tsp. Baking Powder

* leave out the sweetener and the vanilla and they are like cornbread to go alongside of a meal.

Serve these with any healthy syrup, fruit puree or a nut butter.

I did these with my

Sunflower Seed Cocoa Butter 

Berries, fruit purees or jams would also go well with these.

YYuuuummm!!!

Gluten Free, Sugar Free & Dairy Free

Lentil Flour and Flax Seed are very Healthy Fun Food!

Enjoy!

Chewy Dandelion Root Brownies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl

Can you believe I'm keeping "On Track" with these gorgeous squares of chocolaty goodness?

Dandelion root is God's perfect detoxifier for liver / blood. 

The root powder is especially effective for removing toxins. 

Readily available today at health food stores or on line.

A few years ago, I really got obsessed for a few months with growing my own dandelions

to have a clean source of root, flower etc.  It proved to be an extensive project.

Not worth the time when you can get quality Dandelion products from health food stores

these days or on-line.

 Dandelion Root is one of those wonderfully nutritionally packed ingredients that can hide in your baked goods or hot drinks and really give a vitamin and mineral boost to your food.

More information on Dandelion Root: http://www.livestrong.com/article/343007-the-advantages-of-dandelion-root/

Nut Butter (Peanut in this case) Swirls through the Cocoa Brownie
See this post for Nut Butter recipe:  http://cannedtime.blogspot.com/2012/06/raw-vegan-caramels-with-chocolate-nut.html

 Full pan of brownies shot below shows the Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirled through the batter.

Chewy Dandelion Root Brownies w/ Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl

Gluten Free and Very Low Sugar

Combine Wet Ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix until a smooth batter is formed:

1 Cup filtered Water

3 Eggs (or egg substitute)

1 tsp. Liquid Vanilla Stevia + 1 tsp. Plain Liquid Stevia

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

15 Whole Pitted Dates

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Melted Coconut Butter

Combine Dry Ingredients in a bowl and sift together to fully incorporate:

1/2 Cup Dandelion Root Powder

1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

1/2 Cup Ground Flax Seed

1 Cup Spelt Flour or other Gluten Free Flour

1/2 Cup Coconut Flour

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, stir well and form a wet, thick batter. 

Pour batter into a well greased, 9 X 9 pan and bake at 250 for about 45 minutes.

Check for doneness.  Do not over bake, they will be moist until the cool some.

Makes 12 good sized brownies.  Store covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.

These brownies turned out surprisingly 'normal' tasting considering the vast array of ingredients.  Lots of substitutions could be made if you don't have certain items.  But if you do, I'd recommend these 'as is' for a healthy, gluten free, Very low sugar snack or dessert.

The Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl makes them fudgie and sweet.

Nut Butter recipe is here: http://cannedtime.blogspot.com/2012/06/raw-vegan-caramels-with-chocolate-nut.html

Another great Dandelion recipe from Canned Time check out:  Dandelion Greens Strawberry Salad!

Enjoy!

Apple Berry Upside-Down Cake - Dairy and Gluten Free

Apple Berry Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Vegetable Spread or Butter
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Coconut Palm Sugar (or regular)
1 Vanilla Gluten Free Cake Mix (or regular)
3 Eggs cracked and beaten slightly
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Milk of choice ( I used Coconut this time)
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. NuNaturals Liquid Vanilla Flavored Stevia

1 Granny Smith Apple sliced in 1/4 inch slices.
About 10 ripe Blackberries

Melt 1/2 Cup Vegetable Spread or Butter on low in an 10" Iron Skillet.

Mix in 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

and 1/3 Cup Coconut Palm Sugar with the melted butter.

Stir and allow the sugar to melt down on low heat.

If you don't have Palm, all Brown Sugar is fine too.

While the sugars are melted down, mix the cake batter and slice apples

Cake:       Mix together all ingredient in a bowl to form a lumpy batter.

1 Vanilla Gluten Free Cake Mix (or regular)

3 Eggs cracked and beaten slightly

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Milk of choice ( I used Coconut this time)

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. NuNaturals Liquid Vanilla Flavored Stevia

Set batter aside, stir the sugar butter mixture, slice up apples.

When the butter and sugar is mixed and melted together, arrange apples and blackberries on top of the sugar mix. 

You can keep the pan on low heat this whole time.

When fruit is arranged, slowly pour cake batter on top of fruit

(mine floated up some into the batter so I didn't invert the cake after it baked)

Cover the pan loosely and cook on low for 30 minutes or until cake is firm to the touch.

It will look slightly underdone compared to most cakes because of the sugar / butter mix

but let it rest and it should be okay.

This cake was so moist, sweet and fruity.  Really made the whole house smell like a fresh bakery...

The cinnamon, apple and berries, along with the vanilla cake, delicious!

I'm keeping this in the fridge, it's going quickly.

I'll definitely be trying this same method with other fruits and cake flavors too.

Thanks for all the NuNaturals Giveaway entries!

Red Grapefruit Marmalade

I found this cute little tea set today at the Asian market.  $4.99 for the steeper and the little bowls were just .89 so I picked up two of those for

dipping bowls.                                                                     

Chocolate Donuts with Key Lime Frosting and Toasted Coconut, Oh My!

Makes about 15 Mini Donuts
Donuts:

Vegan Creme Brulee

HEALTHY DECADENCE

GF Sour Cream Cornbread with Cinnamon Spread

Lucuma Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream GF SF

Mix together in a blender:
1 Cup Nut, Rice or Soy Milk
2 1/2 Tbs. Lucuma Powder
1 tsp. Vanilla Stevia
3 Frozen Bananas
1 tsp. Guar gum (optional for thickening)
Pinch of Sea Salt

Brazil Nut Cherry Cocoa or Coconut Bites, Raw, GF, SF

Ingredients:
2 Cups of Organic Brazil Nuts, soaked
3/4 Cups Dried Dates
1/4 Cup Almond Meal/ Flour
3 Tbs. Melted Coconut Oil (I like Tropical Traditions)

1/4 Cup Shredded Organic Unsweetened Coconut  (You can use 1/2 cup of coconut or 1/2 cup of almond flour instead if you don't have both, it's just a binder for the nuts)

2 tsp. Organic Cocoa Powder

3/4 Cups Frozen Sweet Cherries
1 tsp. Amaretto (Optional use Vanilla Stevia if you'd rather)
Toppings:
1/4 Cup or so of Cocoa Powder
and / or
1/4 Cup of Shredded Organic Unsweetened Coconut

Ground Brazil Nuts

Ground Dried Dates

Soak 2 Cups of Organic Brazil Nuts in 3-4 cups of filtered water for 3-4 hours.
Drain the nuts and chop them to a small ground like you'd see an ice cream topping nut, like the ones pictured above.

Pour chopped nuts into a medium size bowl and chop the dates to a fine grind.

Add the chopped Dates in with the Brazil nuts and add the Cocoa Powder.  Heat the frozen cherries in a small pan on medium high heat, stir  frequently and add in the Amaretto or Vanilla Stevia.  Mix 1 tsp. of Arrow Root with 2 tsp. of water to make a paste and then pour this into the cherries while stirring constantly until the cherry's juice start to thicken some.  Simmer and stir the cherries for about 1 minute more and then remove from the heat.  Chop the cherry mixture in a blender until it has the consistency of jam.  You can taste it at this point to see if it needs more sweetener before adding it in with the nut/date mixture.  Stir together to make a wet dough similar to cookie dough.  Cool the dough in the fridge to let it set up some.

Roll spoonfuls of the mixture in your palms to what ever size balls you want and sit them on wax paper or a non stick surface.  You should refrigerate the rolled balls if you take a while to make all the dough into balls.  Cool all the balls again for a few minutes and then carefully roll each ball in a small bowl with either Cocoa Powder or Shredded Coconut.  Store in the fridge or freezer for up to 1 month.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to http://glutenfreepantry.blogspot.com/  and http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/slightly-indulgent-tuesday-2612/ and http://glutenfreepantry.blogspot.com/2012/02/allergy-free-wednesdays-blog-hop-week-3.html

Toffee Twigs

How to get your fiber in each day............make it more paletable: 
Okay, these are crazy but believe it or not?  Delicious.  So................

First I started with a batch of toffee inspired by Love Veggies and Yoga's Chocolate Saltine Toffee recipe, check it out.

http://www.marysgonecrackers.com/pretzel-sticks

Then I found these twigs on sale at Whole Foods today. 


I remembered my husband making fun of me last spring when I brought a bag of these "Sticks & Twigs Pretzels" along with a bunch of "healthy" snacks on a week long driving trip we went on.  I was in the process of losing over 75 pounds and didn't want to screw it up by eating junk for a week.  Anyway, the "twigs" were pretty tough to munch on but now I have a way to make them a craving instead.........how?  Cover them in Toffee of course.

Okay so they're not eating a salad with a light vinaigrette but once in a while you just have to make something healthy taste great.  These twigs are great and store well in the fridge so you can just take a bite even some days to snip that craving for sweet and salty.  Super easy to make and everything cost about $5 so a good buy as well.  Pretzels would work as well or even chips.  Averie's toffee recipe goes great with this salty combination so give them a try.

To make these Toffee Covered Twigs, just cook up a batch of toffee, I suggest using this recipe http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2011/12/chocolate-saltine-toffee.html and I used "Palm Sugar" instead of Brown.  Then break up some of the Twigs, drop them in the bottem of a cupcake pan and pour a little of the toffee over the twigs.  Put in the fridge to cool and there you go....
"Twigs" are okay.  Toffee covered Twigs are awesome!

This post has been linked to  http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/slightly-indulgent-tuesday-13112/

Microwave Palm Sugar Cashew Brittle

Ingredients
                    1 cup Coconut Palm Sugar
                    1/2 cup light Agave syrup
                    1 cup salted Cashews
                    1 teaspoon butter
                    1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( I used Orange extract)
                    2 teaspoon baking soda


            Directions
                    Butter a cookie sheet. Combine Palm Sugar and Agave syrup in a 2 quart glass bowl and microwave on high 4 minutes. Stir in Cashews and microwave on high 3 minutes more, then stir in butter and vanilla and microwave for 1 minute.               
                    Stir in baking soda (quickly) until light and foamy.  CAREFULLY pour immediately onto cookie sheet and spread out on pan lightly, the candy will spread by itself so don't force it too much.  It should be about 1/2 inch thick on the pan after spreading. 
Cool completely and break into pieces.  

Sugar / Syrup after 4 minutes microwave and stir

Added Cashews and microwaved 3.5 more minutes / Added butter and stir

After adding Baking Soda, stir immediately and pour onto buttered pan.  Allow to cool and then break apart.


READ MORE INFORMATION ON THE SUGAR ALTERNATIVE ' COCONUT PALM SUGAR'

http://www.naturalnews.com/028996_palm_sugar_natural_sweetener.html

http://www.navitasnaturals.com/products/palm.html

http://www.sugarpalmtree.com/palmsugar-notes.html

ENJOY!




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