Tag: tasty

CleanWorkout.com Recipes: Superfood Cookie Butter

I have teamed up with the Professional Personal trainers at CleanWorkout.com to bring you a delightfully decadent tasting, yet somewhat guilt-free, snack: SUPERFOOD COOKIE BUTTER!

Balance is key to a healthy lifestyle, as well as to a good diet. Part of maintaining that balance is never feeling like you are depriving yourself of snacks and treats. To create the perfect healthy Cookie Butter, it needed to have a rich, satisfying texture, and bold, spicy flavours.

Coconut Oil is such a versatile ingredient – You can use it for making flaky vegan pie crusts or as an intense moisturizer/cleanser/tooth whitener in beauty applications. When kept below 24 degrees Celsius, it has the perfect buttery consistency.

We use the same spices in our Better than Yia Yia’s Gingerbread cookies, which is the perfect flavour profile for traditional Cookie Butter. We added turmeric for an extra health kick and black pepper to help absorption in the body. Toasting the spices in oil for a few minutes helps them release their essential oils, bringing out deeper flavours, and removing any chalkiness that sometimes happens with ground spices. Pink Himalayan Sea Salt was chosen for its extra minerals, but table salt or fine sea salt can also be used.

Since this is a dessert, we have to have some sugar. We chose richly flavoured sweeteners like brown sugar, molasses and pure maple syrup, because a little goes a long way. Maple syrup also has a low GI, which means that it does not spike your blood sugar, leading to fat storage; The calories you consume are more quickly expended as energy. Molasses also help with the classic gingersnap cookie flavour, and help with the smooth, thick consistency of the final product.

To preserve the healthy oils in the cooked spices and to keep your Superfood Cookie Butter fresh, keep it in the refrigerator up to four weeks. Remove it about 15 minutes before digging in.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 tbsp + 1/2 cup Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
2 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Ground Clove
1 tsp Ground Ginger
Pinch of Turmeric
Pinch of Black Pepper
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Grated Nutmeg
Pinch of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Sweeteners

1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 to 2 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
1 to 2 tbsp Fancy Molasses

 

TIP: Make it Chocolate Cookie Butter by adding 1 tbsp of Cacao Powder

TIP: Make it Crunchy Cookie Butter by folding in chopped nuts

 

How to Enjoy Superfood Cookie Butter

  • Blend it into Smoothies
  • Spread it on Toast – Top with Chopped Nuts like Almonds, Pecans or Walnuts for a crunchy breakfast
  • Try Baking with it – Mix Clean Cookie Butter Swirls into Cakes and Cupcakes
  • Use it as a Dip
  • Melt it and Pour it onto Ice Cream or Greek Yogurt
  • Eat it on a Spoon

1. Warm your spices in 3 tbsp Coconut Oil over low heat for 1 – 2 minutes. You want to warm the spices to bring out their oils to give your Cookie Butter more flavour. I also find that cooking spices like turmeric and cinnamon soften their flavours, giving them more sweetness and less of a chalky taste.

2. Add your sweeteners. Continue warming the mixture over low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the molasses are combined.

3. Turn off the heat and let cool for 20 minutes.

4. Add room temperature spice mixture to 1/2 cup Coconut Oil.

5. Stir to Combine. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes until the mix starts to solidify.

6. Remove from the refrigerator and shake to redistribute spices and molasses. Chill for another 15 minutes, or until it reaches a ‘Peanut Butter like’ consistency.

7. Stir your Cooled Cookie Butter and Enjoy!

You CAN Win Friends with Salad

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In recent years, it seems like the risk and frequency of various illnesses and diseases caused by poor diet has been rapidly increasing. As a result, celebrity chefs, doctors and personal trainers, among others, have been trying to communicate healthier lifestyle and eating habits to the masses.

Chef Jamie Oliver has been one of the most prominent personalities in the healthy eating movement for years. One of his newest shows, Jamie’s Super Food, explores cities and islands with the healthiest, longest living populations, and creates inspired healthy dishes.

In the first episode of Jamie’s Super Food, he ventured to the wild Aegean island of Ikaria, Greece. There, he “uncovered” what many of us know, yet we choose to ignore: to live long, full lives, we need to eat clean, vegetable-based diets, with smaller portions of meat, and exercise every day! For most Canadians and Americans, our portion sizes and waist-lines continue to expand at alarming rated, and we have not stopped to do anything about it.

As Jamie explained about the Ikarian diet, they eat tonnes of fresh greens and vegetables every day – dressed with healthy Greek olive oil – along with fresh cheese from healthy goats, and consume smaller portions of meat. It is the essence of the Mediterranean diet and something we should all aim to do more often.

To get you started with your Mediterranean diet, I am making a quick and easy Fennel Slaw. This is a great addition to your Meze (Greek appetizer and dip) spread, or served as a sweet and sour burger topping in place of fatty, sugar-loaded coleslaw. This Easy Fennel Slaw is a great dish to make in advance since it just continues to meld together the longer it sits.

Whenever I am creating recipes with CleanWorkout.com, we come up with fast, simple and healthy dishes that can be prepared early in the week and that keep well in the refrigerator. Most salad greens are too delicate to last for more than one day, but the fennel and carrot in this slaw are robust and will not break down.

TIP: Serve your Fennel Slaw on top of quinoa and wilted spinach, and with crumbled feta cheese for a balanced, light lunch.

Bon Appetit!

Easter has Arrived!

The Countdown to Easter is over! The lamb has arrived and even though there is still one more day of fasting, the cooking and excitement have started.

The best way – and only – way to start an Easter meal is with a light lamb soup. Magiritsa is full of romaine lettuce and lemon. On Easter, we have it as an appetizer, but when it is made throughout the year it makes a great light meal.

Tip: Talk to your local butcher and ask them for bones the next time you are making a soup (be it chicken, lamb, pork or beef). In my experience, when they are made available on the shelf, they sell out quickly!

Wishing you all a Happy Easter. Christos Anesti, Alithos Anesti!

CleanWorkout: Easy Homemade Multigrain Bread

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Thank you, CleanWorkout, for letting me showcase this recipe!

This recipe was so good that I had to share it on my blog, as well!.As part of my role creating digital content for CleanWorkout.com, I have been working on healthy recipes and adaptations for their website and for their clients. This recipe for Homemade Multigrain Bread is delicious, easy, and healthy! Plus, it is vegan!

The recipe is slightly time consuming, but it is the perfect project to take on during a lazy Sunday or rainy day.

The link to their full article is available here (I highly recommend checking it out to learn some of the nutritional benefits of millet and the other superfoods used in the recipe), but I am copying the recipe below.

Enjoy!

Clean Recipes: Homemade Multigrain Bread

Bread Ingredients (Yield: 1 Loaf)

  • 3/4 cup Homemade Multigrain Flour Mixture*
  • 1 1/3 cups Boiling Water
  • 2 tbsp Liquid Coconut Oil* or Melted Unsalted Butter or Olive Oil
  • 2 tbsp + 2 tsp Honey
  • 2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast
  • (Optional) 1/2 tsp Bread Improver / Vital Wheat Gluten (to improve the softness of the loaf)
  • (Optional) Extra Whole Grains
  • Roughly 2 1/4 cups Wholegrain Flour (may need more or less depending on kitchen humidity)
  • 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 tbsp Oats, For Topping
  1. Start by making your Homemade Multigrain Flour Mixture. In a food processor, combine equal parts of whatever grains you would like to add to your bread. Try the following mix, but feel free to add additional grains, or use what you have available:
    • Flax Seeds
    • Millet
    • Quinoa
    • Buckwheat*
    • Barley
    • Oats
    • Brown Rice (or Rice Flour)
    • Corn (use Corn Flour or Polenta instead)
    • Wheat (use Semolina)
      • Clean Recipe Tip: Make extra Multigrain Flour and store it in your freezer or refrigerator. Mix it with all purpose or wholegrain flour in your regular baking recipes.
  2. In a large glass bowl, mix your Homemade Multigrain Flour with boiling water. Stir to combine and let stand 20 minutes until it is just warm.
  3. Mix in the liquid fat (coconut oil, melted butter, or olive oil), then the honey. Stir to combine completely, then add yeast and bread improver (if using). Mix with a spatula and let stand another 10 to 15 minutes for the yeast to activate.
  4. Add one cup of flour and knead – you can knead your bread in a stand mixer or by hand. Next, add in your Extra Whole Grains, if you are using any. Continue kneading, adding half a cup of flour at a time. Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is no longer sticking to your fingers.
  5. Cover with a damp cloth and let stand 1 hour in a warm place.
  6. Sprinkle your risen dough with sea salt and knead for 5 minutes. Cover again and let stand for another hour.
  7. Grease your loaf pan with butter, coconut oil or oil. Roll dough into a loaf shape and place into greased pan. If you like, lightly press oats onto the top. Let rise 1 hour before baking.
  8. Bake your bread in a pre-heated 375 F oven for 28 – 32 minutes. Your bread will be golden brown and slightly hollow sounding when tapped.
  9. Remove loaf from pan and cool on a rack.

  10. There is nothing better than warm, fresh bread and butter… especially when the bread is packed with superfood grains like millet, quinoa, buckwheat, flax and chia seeds. This bread is loaded with fibre, protein and healthy carbohydrates.

    Enjoy your bread warm from the oven (the best way!) with a little butter, or enjoy it throughout the week. Bread keeps well in the freezer, so you can also freeze a loaf to have another time. Homemade bread is also a great gift for friends and family (no need to tell them how healthy it is before they taste it!)

Quick & Easy Dinner: Lemon Spaghetti

Pasta has to be one of the ultimate comfort foods. I often get tired of tomato or meat sauce, so I am always thinking of new toppings for my spaghetti. One of my favourites is a light lemon dressing with lots of fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese.

Next time you are feeling a pasta craving, try this. It will surely become a staple in your “Quick, Easy and Delicious” recipe book, as well!

Cheese, Please

I cannot figure out what makes cheese so magical, but somehow it has the ability to elevate every dish that it is paired with.

It is wonderfully versatile and can be used for sweets, savoury, baked, fried, or enjoyed on its own. The only thing better than cheese is learning how to make your own.

I recently decided to try my hand at making Ricotta Cheese. It was so creamy and delicious, not to mention ridiculously easy, that I could not believe I had put it off for so long. Try this simple recipe and enjoy having Fresh Ricotta Cheese everyday.

You’re Welcome.