Tuesday, 31 January 2012

Rustic Apple Pie - Gluten Free and Vegan

This is a lovely pie recipe that omits all the usual horrors of apple pie - no butter, no refined sugar, no white flour and no eggs.  It is a two part recipe as the pie uses roasted apples.  However, the apples can be done in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.  The original recipe is from Babycakes in NYC but as per usual, I have adjusted several ingredients (and a bit of the technique) to heighten the nutritional value of the pie.



Roasted Apples:
1 pound Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1-inch cubes
1 pound Pink Lady apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1-inch cubes (other baking apples may be substituted with equally great results)
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, toss the apples, cinnamon, agave and lemon juice until apples are coated.  Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake the apples on the center rack for 35 minutes, rotating the sheet 180 degrees after 20 minutes.  The apples will be soft.  Let stand for 30 minutes or until cool.

Rustic Apple Pie
3 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons canola oil plus more for brushing pan
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons agave nectar plus more for brushing
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cold water
Roasted apples (see above)

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the 7 tablespoons canola oil and the agave nectar and vanilla and stir (about 30 seconds) until combined.  Slowly add the cold water and continue mixing for another 30 seconds or until the moist dough is formed.

Spread a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and sprinkle it with some flour.  Put the dough on the plastic and shape it into a 3-inch-thick disc.  Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 20 minutes before using.

Preheat oven to 325.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil a 9-inch pie pan.

Place a large cutting board or similar flat steady surface on the counter and sprinkle with flour.  Dredge the dough in the flour until completely covered.  Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to an even 1/4 inch thickness.  Brush off the excess flour.  Lift the crust and fit it into the prepared pan, allowing the excess dough to hang over the side.  Fill the pie shell with the apples.  Fold the excess dough back over the apples.  Pleating and pinching of the top of the pie will give it a great rustic look.  Brush lightly with some oil.  Place the pie on the baking sheet and bake on bottom rack of oven for 20 minutes.  Remove the pie from the oven and brush the crust with some agave nectar.  Return to the oven and bake for 11 minutes longer, until browned.  Let the pie stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Sunday, 29 January 2012

Vegan and Gluten-free Banana Bread

This delicious vegan and gluten- free recipe comes from the awesome Babycakes bakery in New York City.  The chocolate chips are optional.  I have adjusted a few ingredients from the original recipe, in the name of even better nutritional content.  You can easily double the recipe if you wish to make two banana breads instead of one.  Believe me, this won't last long on your counter-top.  Enjoy!

2 cups Bob's Red Mill gluten-free all purpose baking flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (an egg substitue used for baking)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup canola oil (plus a bit extra for greasing the pan)
2/3 cup agave nectar
2/3 cup unsweetened rice milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup mashed bananas
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.  Lightly grease a loaf pan or round pyrex.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon.  Add the oil, agave nectar, rice milk and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir (or gently beat with electric mixer) until the batter is smooth.  Gently fold in the mashed bananas.  If you are using the chocolate chips, fold into the batter or sprinkle on top once you have put batter into pan.

Bake the banana bread on the center rack for 35 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees after 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand 20 minutes.  Gently run a knife around the edge of the cake to prevent it from sticking.

This recipe is a favourite in our home.  Let me know if it become one in your home too!!

Thursday, 8 December 2011

Just how much sugar is lurking in your kids morning cereal???

This article recently appeared in the Toronto Star.  Take a look at the amount of sugar in some of the most popular cereals today.  Instead of these health hazards, try one of my nutritious breakfast recipes, located on the blog.  Couscous cooked in vanilla almond milk or homemade granola are two of my kids' favorites.


How much sugar is in your favourite breakfast cereal?

December 7, 2011
ELIZABETH WEISE
USA TODAY
Most parents would never dream of giving their kids dessert for breakfast. But a survey by the Environmental Working Group finds that many cereals marketed to children have more sugar than sweet treats do.
For example, a one-cup serving of Honey Smacks has more sugar than a Hostess Twinkie, and a cup of Cap'n Crunch or Apple Jacks has more sugar than three Chips Ahoy! cookies.
With 17 per cent of American children classified as obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, moving to cereals with little or no added sugar could be a better way to start the day.
The 10 Worst Cereals in terms of sugar per cup
Cereal, grams of sugar per cup, teaspoons of sugar:
  Kellogg's Honey Smacks, 20.0, 5 tsp.
   Post Golden Crisp, 18.7, 4.6 tsp.
   Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch Original, 16.0, 4 tsp.
   Quaker Oats Oh! s, 16.0, 4 tsp
  Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch OOPS! All Berries, 15.0, 3.7 tsp
  Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries, 14.7, 3.6 tsp
   Kellogg's Froot Loops Marshmallow, 14.0,3.5 tsp
  Kellogg's Smorz, 13.0, 3.2 tsp
  Kellogg's Apple Jacks, 12.0, 3.0 tsp
   Kellogg's Froot Loops Original, 12.0, 3 tsp
Alternatives:
  Post Shredded Wheat,* 0.0, 0 tsp
   Kellogg's Mini-Wheats Unfrosted Bite-Size,* 0.6, 0.15 tsp
  Cheerios Original, 1.0, 0.25 tsp
   Kix Original, 2.4, 0.6 tsp
   Post Grape-Nuts Flakes, 5.3, 1.3 tsp
  Quaker Oats Oatmeal Squares Cinnamon,* 6.0, 1.5 tsp
  Post Bran Flakes, 6.7, 1.6 tsp
   Post Honey Bunches of Oats with Vanilla Bunches,* 8.0, 2 tsp
* The serving size for dense cereals was adjusted to a serving (2/3 cup) with roughly the same weight as a cup of most light cereals.
Source: Environmental Working Group

Monday, 5 December 2011

Easy split pea soup with lemon zest garnish

In the same family as lentils and beans, yellow split peas are nutritional superstars and VERY cost effective! According to Legume World, split peas offer more dietary fiber than any other major food group and are a rich source of energizing complex carbs.  A 1/2 cup serving contains only 144 calories, 10 grams of protein, less than 1 gram of fat and 26 grams of good carbs.  Yellow split peas also contains an impressive 10 grams of dietary fiber and 0 mg of cholesterol.  If you need more convincing, yellow split peas are also an excellent source of B vitamins and other essential minerals.  



I love this vegan recipe because it has very few ingredients, is quick and easy to make and has a delicious smoky flavor.

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt (preferably fine grain sea salt)
2 cups dried yellow split peas, rinsed
5 cups water
juice of 1/2 lemon and reserve the zest.
Smoked paprika

Add oil to a large soup pot.  Saute onions and salt until onions begin to soften, no more than 3 -5 minutes.  Add the split peas and water.  Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes until the peas are cooked through but still a wee bit al dente.  Ladle half the soup into a bowl and set aside.  Using a hand blender or food processor,  puree the rest of the soup.  If you prefer your soup thin, puree more than half or add a small amount of additional water.  Pour the remaining soup back into the pot.  Stir in the lemon juice and add salt to taste.  Add smoked paprika to taste.  I really enjoy a smoky flavor so I use about 1 full teaspoon.  Start with 1/2 teaspoon and add to taste.

Serve with grated lemon zest on top and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.




Friday, 18 November 2011

Easy after school snack.....chocolate fondue and fruit kebabs!

A small chocolate fondue pot can be had for about $20 or so at Costco or other kitchen retailers.

Use dark chocolate square (MUCH healthier than milk chocolate) and any fruit your children like.  For a special treat, buy some vegan (ie no gelatin) mini marshmallows.  We like to use berries (strawberries and raspberries are especially easy to thread onto the skewer), mango, bananas, sliced apples and pineapple.  Remember to buy 8" skewers -- the others are far too large for a snack!  What a great way to get in a full days serving of fruit!!!

Thursday, 17 November 2011

Easy hot breakfast - Couscous in vanilla almond milk with fruit

My kids love a hot breakfast but time simply isn't always there in the morning rush.  This recipe can be done in five minutes and is not only delicious but a very nutritious start to the day.

Ingredients:

One box whole wheat couscous (usually 340 grams)
Vanilla almond milk
Cranberries, shredded unsweetened coconut, crushed pecans, raisins, slivered almonds, etc.

Cook the couscous according to the box recipe.  Instead of water, use vanilla almond milk (generally 2 cups of almond milk for one box of couscous).  Heat milk till boiling.  Add whatever dried fruits or nuts your family enjoy.  Add couscous.  Stir.  Remove from heat.  Cover with a lid for five minutes.  Fluff with a fork.  Add maple syrup and milk (if desired) and enjoy!

Japanese food --- sometimes a healthy choice but NOT always!!

The Dish: A chicken bento box is the saltiest dish we’ve analyzed yet

(From the Toronto Star)
November 17, 2011Megan OgilvieHEALTH REPORTER
DISH: Chicken supreme bento box
RESTAURANT: Sushi on Bloor
LOCATION: 515 Bloor St. W.
PRICE: $9.50
Emma has a bet to settle over a bento box.
The University of Toronto student loves going to Sushi on Bloor with her boyfriend for a cosy date-night dinner. They never mind the typical 20-minute delay for a table at the bustling Annex eatery; the food, she says, is worth the wait.
A self-described “sashimi kinda gal,” Emma always orders tuna and salmon sashimi from the à la carte menu. Her boyfriend, who is an anti-sushi kinda guy, opts for the chicken supreme bento box.
This meal — like many bento box combos — starts with a bowl of miso soup and a crispy pile of iceberg lettuce topped with a thick ginger dressing. Then, neatly arranged in the bento box, there is a selection of crispy tempura, six slices of sushi, a generous mound of steamed white rice and an artfully arrayed portion of sweetly spiced chicken Teriyaki.
“We tend to disagree on how healthy this meal choice is,” Emma wrote to The Dish. While she thinks the bento box is calorific, her boyfriend insists it’s healthier than a fast food burger combo.
“On one hand, there is a good sized portion of chicken and there are veggies in the salad and tempura. But on the other hand, the Teriyaki sauce must be deadly and I’m pretty sure deep-frying yams doesn’t count as the healthiest way to get your vitamins.
“So settle a bet: Is the chicken supreme bento box a good choice at a sushi restaurant?”
It only took a quick look at the lab results to come up with an answer: An emphatic, echoing, shout-it-out-loud “No!”
All together, this bento box combo contains 1,685 calories, 48 grams of fat and 3,861 mg of sodium.
That means it has — and listen up, Emma’s boyfriend — 645 more calories, 12 more grams of fat and 1,781 mg more sodium than a Harvey’s cheeseburger combo with a regular-sized order of fries and Pepsi.
The Dish has investigated foods that have clocked in with more calories and fat (the platter of nachos from Wayne Gretzky’s, for example) but in many cases these foods are clearly indulgences or are meant to share. The chicken bento box, while offering a copious amount of food, appears to be a relatively healthy choice with its lean chicken, salad, vegetables and small slices of sushi. Many of us would guess it to be friendlier on waist lines than fast food combos.
Registered dietitian Carol Harrison is flabbergasted by the amount of sodium — the equivalent of 1 ½ teaspoons of salt — in the meal.
“The 3,861 mg is 2 ½ days worth of sodium,” she says. “There is an entire weekend’s worth of sodium in this meal. I’d recommend people steer clear of it for that reason alone.
“It’s numbers like this that make me think we really need menu labelling so people can make informed choices. No meal needs that much sodium to taste terrific.”
(For regular Dish readers, note this meal has more sodium than any other tested so far!)
To put the meal’s calories in perspective, Harrison says people who eat the contents of the entire bento box will only be left with about 300 calories to spread out over breakfast and lunch and any snacks.
“And that’s without a drink with the bento box. And only if you drink water the rest of the day.”
Emma was speechless after hearing the nutrition numbers.
“No ... wow ... I’m floored. I didn’t know it would be that unhealthy.”
While she had expected to win the bet with her boyfriend, Emma could not believe the meal’s calories — and especially its sodium — were so over the top.
On their next visit, Emma says she will try to convince him to go for sushi instead of the bento box. But she isn’t sure her twenty-something, badminton-playing, calorie-consuming boyfriend will accept the argument.
“He’ll just take this information to mean he can go to Burger King more often.”
Verdict: This is the saltiest dish we have tested yet.
Chicken supreme bento box
SERVING SIZE 1,170 grams
CALORIES 1,685
FAT 48 grams
SODIUM 3,861 mg
PROTEIN 77 grams
CARBOHYDRATES 236 grams
RECOMMENDED DAILY ALLOWANCE
Men/Women
Calories: 2,500/2,000
Fat: 60 to 105 grams/45 to 75 grams
Sodium: 1,500 to 2,300 mg
Carbohydrates: 281-325 grams
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