Fresh summer dessert

This summer has been intense. The heat and humidity has been stifling. This summer seems to be trying to rival the crazy winter we had of below freezing temps and ice and snow storms. As the heat has cooled down into the mid-80's the weather has been joyous. This little lull allowed this time to bake a crisp as well as homemade coconut milk ice cream. Both were delicious. Yum!

Stone Fruit Crisp

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp of lemon
• 1/4 cup of Sucanat
• 5 tbsp of coconut oil
• 1/2 cup gluten-free oats
• 1/2 cup Almond flour
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 tsp of himalayan sea salt

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place fruit in baking dish - Pie plate or other 9 inch pan
3. Place all other ingredients into the Vita-Mix and blend
4. Add the crumbly mix to the top of the fruit - evenly
5. Bake for 25 minutes or longer depending on your oven (my oven runs hot)
6. Eat with Coconut, Almond & Raspberry Ice Cream. Yum!

Coconut, Almond & Raspberry Ice Cream (Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pints of Raspberries
• 3 tbsp of fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1/4 cup of vanilla agave
• 1 cup Almond Milk
• 3 cups Coconut Milk
• 1 tbsp pur vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in the Vita-Mix and blend
2. Scoop out and place in Ice Cream Maker for 20 minutes
3. Scoop out of ice cream maker into freezer friendly container and freeze for a minimum of 1 hour.
4. Enjoy with Fruit Crisp!

Sick of oatmeal? Try this!

Brown Rice Farina from Bob's Red Mill is a tasty breakfast. This hot cereal is a great alternative to steel cut oats or rolled oats in the winter. Plus, this cereal can be really versatile -  you can make it savory, sweet or thick or on the thin side. Whatever consistency you want your breakfast to be is up to you. This version is a bit on the sweeter side.

• The night before:
• Soak a 1/4 cup of the grains in a bit of water in the pot you plan on cooking them in. This process makes your grains easier to digest (happy tummy). Note that these grains are too tiny to strain the water from.
• If you like flaxseeds you can take 1/4 cup or more and place in a small bowl and cover with water. This process will break down the flax for easier digestion the next day. Do not be alarmed the flax becomes gelatinous - it is pretty cool. However, you can just as easily grind your flax the morning of in a coffee grinder which is quick and easy, but requires a bit of clean up. Or go flax-less and don't add this ingredient.
• The morning of:
• Turn the heat up to high on the brown rice grains, toss in a pinch of sea salt
• Bring the cereal to boil
• Turn down the heat and add some almond milk (I put in about a 1/2 cup), rice milk, coconut milk - whatever is available (1/2 - 1 cup depending on how thick/thin you like your cereal - experiment with the consistency)
• Add a tsp of coconut oil (dairy-free) or high quality butter 
• Continue to cook - stirring frequently
• Should be ready in 5 - 10 minutes
• Pour into a bowl and add lovely fixings like - Maple Syrup (try a little bit and add if necessary), Walnuts, Flaxseeds, Berries, Cinnamon, Ginger...
• I choose to add walnuts and flaxseeds today for a boost of omega-3's 

*I buy flax seeds in the bulk section at the store and store them in the fridge.

What's your favorite hot breakfast?

Coconut Flour Muffins

Baking is something that I gave up a few years ago, with the exception of homemade pies. Every year I make delicious pumpkin & pecan pie from scratch for Thanksgiving, but that is about it. I stay away from gluten & dairy. So much of the time it is too difficult to eat baked goods with those requirements. Well, these days I have felt the need to try and make a few baked goods myself. So this morning I decided to make muffins. Coconut flour muffins that are gluten-free & dairy-free. They tasted really good!

Here is what you need:

2 heaping tbsp of Coconut Oil* (I use Tropical Traditions brand)
*If the coconut oil is solid, heat it up so that you are working with a liquid
2 heaping tbsp of Raw Honey (if you are looking for a less sweet muffin try less Honey)
1/4 cup of applesauce (if you want dry muffins use less applesauce or cut it out entirely, I like my baked goods a bit on the heavy side.)
3 Eggs
1 tsp of Almond extract (if you want to use less feel free)
2 tbsp of coconut milk
- Mix the wet ingredients together in a bowl.

1/4 cup of Coconut Flour (Tropical Traditions brand)
1/4 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
1 small carrot - minced into small bits
1/3 cup of almonds - minced into small bits
1/3 cup of goji berries
1/3 cup of shredded coconut (Tropical Traditions brand)
- Mix the dry ingredients into a bowl

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then grease your muffin tins with coconut oil - enough so the muffins don't stick. Mix all the ingredients together and then spoon into the muffin tins about half way full. At this point I sprinkled shredded coconut on top of the muffins before I popped them into the oven, just to make it look pretty.

Bake for about 15-20 min depending on your oven. Use a toothpick, knife, or fork to test the muffin. If the utensil comes out clean the muffins are ready.

NOTE - mix and match things. I did not have any dried fruit or bitter chocolate chips, but if I had I might have tossed them in. I had also thought about using brown rice syrup rather than honey for a less sweet muffin (next time I will try that because these were sweeter than I had wanted for breakfast). I had a zucchini so I had debated on using that with the carrot...the possibilities are endless.

Don't forget to signup for the FREE Coconut Oil Contest!!!

Use Coconut Oil!

Coconut oil is a healthy saturated fat derived from the fruit of the coconut tree that has numerous uses, among them being cooking. It's no surprise if you've never had occasion to use it. These days its use in the American kitchen is rare. In fact, your only experience with coconut oil or coconut milk may have come from dining out on Indian, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisine. That wasn't always the case. As recently as the early 20th century coconut oil was the oil of choice for baked goods. This made perfect sense because coconut oil is a stable fat, with lasting shelf life. It remains solid under 75 degrees Fahrenheit. It's use dwindled mid-century when misconceptions about the link between saturated fats and heart disease led to the widespread use of vegetable oils and margarine – trans-fats that are now understood to be far less healthy.

In Southeast Asia's tropical climate, coconut trees are everywhere and coconuts are a staple of the diet. The coconut tree is referred to as the Tree of Life. What an asset to have such plentiful access to such a nutritious and versatile fruit! The coconut provides valuable minerals, vitamins and fiber. Not only is coconut milk and oil great for cooking, but coconut water can be consumed straight from the fruit. I know from experience the pleasure of drinking directly from a coconut with a straw after a vendor has hacked off the top of the fruit with a machete. Not only is the water tasty and refreshing, but it is full of natural electrolytes (think “natural Gatorade”). And, once you are done with your drink, you can tear into the meaty flesh of the fruit. Yum! (Note: If you want to avoid the use of a machete and the messiness of tearing into coconut flesh, bottled coconut water is available at a number of natural foods coops at prices comparable to Vitamin Water or Gatorade.)

Now you might be thinking that coconuts are really high in fat. You're right! Really, really good fat. Not all fats are created equal. There is research out there that touts that coconut oil can even enhance your metabolism.  Additionally, earlier warnings linking fats like coconut oil to heart disease have been de-bunked by several studies.

Coconut oil is a saturated fat and fabulous for cooking. Think cooking stir-fry, baking, sautéing, etc. Saturated fats are tough and can withstand very high heat, unlike monounsaturated fats like olive oil that become rancid at high heat. There is evidence that shows that the oxidation of fats (heating unstable fats to high temperatures) is linked to many diseases like strokes, Alzheimer's, and liver disease. I think coconut oil tastes delicious and adds variety to the diet. Use it as an alternative to butter.

While it's great for cooking, coconut oil has other nutritional uses. I use coconut oil as a lotion when my skin is dry as well as a hair conditioner to keep it hydrated. I've also read that eating

raw coconut oil can be great for your overall health.

I have tried many brands of coconut oil. I have purchased them at my local co-op as well as over the web. I found that each of them had a distinct taste and I really enjoy the flavor of Tropical Traditions coconut oil. If you decide to make a purchase consider using my number #5531550. 

Keep your eyes peeled as a competition will be starting to win a 16oz. jar of premium Coconut Oil! Woo Hoo.

Interested in learning more:

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/index.html

Do you use coconut oil? Tell me about it!

How about a soup off?

Okay so actually it wasn't really a cook off event. Last night I presented a class about soup. Why soup? Well I have loved soup from a very early age.  In fact my after school snack was always a can of soup. Many people think this is weird, but it was my staple - its warm & comforting and soothed my soul. Usually something from Campbell's  - nothing quite as good as what I am capable of making now, but none the less my favorite thing to eat at the time! So back to the class...

I had 7 lovely ladies + an itty bitty gentleman (can you see the little one in the pic?)! They are fabulous people so not only was it fun to teach the class to these individuals it was a delightful time filled with laughter and love - all the sorts of things you want in a kitchen and infused in the food. Really the care, attention, and playful atmosphere cannot be beat.

The goal of the class was to help the participants understand how to experiment and add their own flair when making tasty soup. They learned not to take recipes so seriously and just cook up what they have on hand. We also talked about how quick, easy, & healthy soups can be!

What else did we talk about?

-Colors! Eating green, white, red & orange foods and what that means nutritionally & energetically speaking
-Blending
-Storage (plastics, glass, stainless, etc)
-Best type of pot to use
-Discussed a bit about organic, local & the environment

What recipes were featured?

-Carrot Ginger Soup
-Creamy Coconut & Lentil Soup
-Heirloom Tomato & Chickpea Soup (check for the recipe from earlier in the week)
-Creamy Kale Soup

After we made the soup we sat down to do a taste test. While everyone was deciding which soup was #1 they discussed what they learned from the class. One of the main things that the class enjoyed was that they had to go and buy their own groceries at the store. Many of the items on the list were not items they would usually pick up so they felt like the excursion was one of the best aspects of the class. Check out my website (navigate to the events page) as I am scheduling Grocery Store Tours. Check back every so often for all updated events.

How many of you out there love soup? What is your favorite soup to make? Please share!