Cocomole

I don't know if those of you who subscribe to my blog will receive this by Valentine's Day or not, but I will send it out to CyberSpace in high hopes that it will. I had planned to do it earlier this week, but Tom and I decided to do a celebration get-away for a couple of days.  It was a combination of a Valentine's Day celebration, a belated anniversary celebration, and an improved health celebration since my surgery on February 15, 2013.  Yes, much to celebrate!  So this blog post was put on hold until we returned this afternoon.  

This Valentine's dessert may seem downright weird to you.  But I discovered there is more to make with an avocado than guacamole.  Combined with cocoa powder it is Cocomole!  I was first introduced to the idea of combining avocado with cacao powder by my son Dan, who works at the Wedge Co-Op in Mpls.  I asked him what was the difference between cacao powder and regular cocoa powder and he explained that cacao is the raw unprocessed form of chocolate and supposedly retains more of its nutrients. Cocoa is the more processed form because it has been dried and roasted and is what we typically find on the grocery shelves.  I used cacao powder that I purchased from the bulk bin at the Duluth Whole Foods Co-op so that I could buy just a small amount of it. You could certainly use cocoa powder for this recipe if that is what you have in your cupboard.

The original idea Dan gave me included only avocado, cacao powder and some natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup.  I tried that and thought it was ok, but decided to add a bit more Pzazz with a banana and coconut milk.  Definitely the Pzazz I was looking for!  Yes, the fat content looks high for this pudding, but remember that it comes from a healthy source of fat found in the avocado, and hopefully my digestive system will handle it well. 

May your Valentine's Day be filled with love and Pzazz!   

Ingredients:
1 medium banana
1 avocado
6 Tablespoons lite coconut milk
(I used canned Taste of Thai coconut milk)
4 teaspoons raw cacao powder or coco powder





Preparation:
Blend all of it together in device of your choice.  (I used my Magic Bullet, but because it was quite thick, it didn't do quite as good of a job as I had hoped, so I mashed it more with a mortar/pestle.)  You can also put this into the freezer to make more of a frozen dessert.  Garnish with a dollop of pureed strawberries or raspberries.  I pureed the strawberries in the chopper attachment of my Cuisinart Smart Stick and it worked like a charm for a small amount.

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 2
Serving Size: Scant 1/2 cup
Calories: 234
Total Fat: 13 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 15 mg
Total Carbs: 21 g
Dietary Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 3 g

Pear Cranberry Crisp (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)

I am trying out a couple of new recipes before Thanksgiving Day arrives so I know which ones I want to make for the day.  This one will certainly be on the menu!   You might be wondering as you look at the photo if that cranberry really won't cause an obstruction.  Well, it is so soft that it honestly could squeeze through a tube of toothpaste!  But that's not what you will be thinking about when you eat this dessert.  You will only be thinking how you can keep it to yourself.  The combination of pears and cranberries is the perfect combination of sweet and tang.  I have enjoyed it as a dessert many times this week, as you will see by the variety of photos. 

This is also a gluten-free and dairy-free dessert.   In August, my physicians determined that I may have another disease process at work, called polymyositis.  It is a disease of muscle inflammation, and a certain subset of patients respond well to a dairy-free and gluten-free diet.  I had always eaten large quantities of bread products, so couldn't fathom what this new dietary restriction might mean for me.   What was most fascinating as I ventured into this new territory of no gluten and absolutely no dairy products ( I previously ate only cultured dairy products such as kefir and yogurt)  was how it improved my digestion almost immediately. But I have no way of knowing if it was the elimination of dairy or the gluten that had improved my digestion since I eliminated both of them at the same time.  I guess that sometime during the upcoming holidays, I may not have the willpower to resist some gluten products, so maybe I will find out for sure.

This recipe is an adaptation of one I found on the blog of Cookie and Kate.  It also gave a gluten-free version of the recipe, but it still contained dairy products of butter and yogurt.   I made it dairy-free by using coconut oil instead of the butter and I used goat yogurt rather than the cow yogurt.  I also strained the goat yogurt for about 30 minutes so it was thick and creamy.  (The brand of goat yogurt I discovered that I like is Redwood Hill Farms.) I also modified the recipe by eliminating the walnuts and substituted Sucanat for the brown sugar. If you aren't familiar with Sucanat, it is a natural cane sweetener. The brand name is an acronym from Sugar Cane Natural and it has substantially less carbohydrates in it than brown sugar. I have purchased it for many years in the bulk section at the Duluth Whole Foods Co-op.  The almond meal used for the topping with the oats is a "staple" in our pantry, because Tom frequently uses it to make his own crackers. (More about those tasty treats another time.)   

But back to this delectable dessert!  When Tom tried it, he said "anyone would like this - it's great!"  The honey-sweetened pears form the basis for this easy, and easy to digest dessert that will grace our Thanksgiving table next week.  

Ingredients:
2 Bartlett pears, cored, peeled and sliced into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
3 Tablespoons honey
1 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 tsp cinnamon


Topping:
1/2  cup gluten free oats (Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup almond meal (Bob's Red Mill)                  
3 Tablespoons Sucanat
1/8 tsp fine-grain sea salt
2 Tablespoons coconut oil - melted
1 1/2 Tablespoon goat yogurt, strained

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the pears, cranberries, honey, cornstarch, lemon juice, ginger and cinnamon and place in a small baking dish. Mix the oats, almond meal, sucanat, and salt. Set aside. Melt the coconut oil and cool it a bit. Add it to the rest of the topping mix and stir lightly. Add the drained yogurt and crumble it together, then put it on the top of the fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until all of the fruit is very soft.   Eat and be thankful!

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 8
Serving Size: 1/8 of the pan
Calories: 147
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 41 mg
Total Carbs: 23 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 2 g

Strawberry Surprise

Sunny days on the deck are a thing of the past in Duluth - at least during the last seven days of torrential rains. So it was fun to see these photos I had taken earlier this month of a delightful pureed strawberry surprise.  I had enjoyed sliced strawberries with balsamic vinegar prior to my need for pureed food, so when I recently heard of adding black pepper to that already delightful combination of flavors, I was fascinated to try it with pureed strawberries.  Definite Pzazz!  Be daring...be surprised....be bold with your life and flavors.  


Ingredients:
1 cup sliced strawberries
2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (high quality)
   (add a bit more if desired)
freshly ground pepper


Preparation:
Puree  the strawberries, sugar, and balsamic vinegar in the blender.  Add freshly ground pepper to desired taste.  Don't be timid.  It really is delicious!


Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 2                              
Serving Size: 1/4  cup                        
Calories: 42
Total Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 1  mg
Total Carbs: 10 g
Dietary Fiber:  4 g
Protein: 0

Mango Coconut Dessert

Have you heard of an ataulfo mango?  My friend, Christal, shared one with me a few weeks ago and I was delightfully surprised by the lack of fibrous texture in this delicate golden yellow mango that is about half the size of the typical mango.   The texture was smooth and almost buttery.  So I purchased one a few days ago and looking at it this afternoon, I realized it needed to be used..... promptly.  I love how a mango turns frothy when pureed.  I also love the white violets blooming in the wooded part of my yard this morning.  

Ataulfo mango 

Ingredients:
1 ataulfo mango                                                        
1/4 cup plain non-fat Fage yogurt
2 teaspoons unsweetened finely shredded coconut          






Preparation:  

Peel and slice the mango.  You should have about 3/4 cup slices.

Peeled ataulfo mango

Puree it with the Fage yogurt and coconut in the blender.  

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: About 1 cup
Calories: 140
Total Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 25 mg
Total Carbs:  24 g

Peeled and sliced ataulfo mango
                                       

Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 7

Triple Berry Parfait

Festive and a snap to make, this was part of my Christmas dinner with my family.  I had forgotten that I had taken a photo of it until today when I was uploading photos for my other posts.   The combination of the antioxidents in the berries and the probiotics in the kefir make it a great immune-building dessert.  Who knew that dessert could be healthy?

Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen triple berry mixed fruit  (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries)
1 cup plain low-fat kefir

Preparation:
Partially thaw the frozen fruit mix.  Put the kefir into a blender and add the fruit, and puree to desired consistency.

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: Approx 1.25 cups
Calories: 209
Total Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 10 mg
Sodium: 133 mg
Total Carbs: 34 g
Dietary Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 15 g

Tangy Fage-Cranberry Dessert

Before I knew that Caleb and Kiara were bringing a pureed cranberry relish that I could eat for Thanksgiving, I had already purchased a can of organic jellied cranberry sauce at the Whole Foods Coop.  So, now my creative juices started flowing once again as I thought about how I could use this jellied cranberry sauce.  Upon sampling it, I realized how sweet it was and my taste buds were confirmed in their suspicions as I looked at the nutritional information on the can.  A quarter cup contained 26 grams of carbohydrates.  So my challenge was to think what I could mix with it to lessen the sweet taste and carbohydrate content. My immediate idea was to combine it with Fage (pronounced FA-yeh)Yogurt, which I always have in the refrigerator. I learned about this type of yogurt a few years ago in a diabetes magazine, where it was promoted as a good choice for people with diabetes because it has a higher protein content than most Greek yogurts.  In fact, one cup of Fage Nonfat Yogurt contains 9 grams of carbohydrates and 23 grams of protein.  And it contains five strains of live active probiotic cultures, which are helpful for both digestion and immune function.  I often use this as a healthy substitute for sour cream and as a base for dips, spreads, or as a garnish for cold soups.   It proved to be a winner once again when combined with the
tangy-sweet cranberries.

Now, I'm dreaming of other ways to use the jellied cranberry sauce.  Maybe combined with a savory red lentil soup, or would it work with squash?  Stay tuned for my next culinary creation. 

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons  (1/4 cup) Fage Nonfat Yogurt
1 Tablespoon jellied cranberry sauce  (I used a brand called Organic Grown Right)

Preparation:
Stir together the yogurt and the cranberry sauce, reserving a small portion of the sauce for a garnish.

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon
Calories: 58
Total Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 30 mg
Total Carbs: 9 g
Dietary Fiber: 0
Protein: 6 g