Raspberry Fudge Brownies (Grain, Dairy, and Nut Free)

Raspberry Sauce:

• ½ c fresh organic Raspberries

• 1 Tbs. Coconut oil

• 1 Tbs. pure Maple syrup or raw Honey

Batter:

• 4 free-range Eggs (or 2 eggs + 2Tbs. freshly ground flax in 4 Tbs. warm water)

• ⅓ c. Coconut oil

• ⅓ c pure Maple syrup

• 2 tsp. pure Vanilla extract

• ½ c. pure raw Cacao powder

• 2 Tbs. Coconut flour

• 2 Tbs. Almond Flour

• 1 Tbs. decaf Instant Coffee (opt.)

• ½ tsp. Baking soda

• ¼ tsp Sea salt

• ⅓ c. Dark chocolate chips or pieces 

• ½ c. fresh organic Raspberries
  
  Preheat oven to 350℉ (175° C).

Directions

Sauce: 
Place ½ cup fresh raspberries and coconut oil in a pot over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.  Stir until raspberries have broken down and you’ve created a sauce.  Take away from heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey. Set aside.

Brownies:
Next combine wet brownie ingredients in mixing bowl.  Add in dry ingredients and stir until incorporated.  Gently fold in chocolate chips and raspberries.  Pour batter into 8”×8” (20.25 cm x 20.25cm) or 9”x9” glass baking pan greased with coconut oil.

Drizzle raspberry sauce over the top and swirl into batter with a knife so it’s barely under the surface.  Bake on lower oven rack for approx. 25 minutes. 
Don’t over-bake this brownie.  It should still be a little soft on the inside. Let it cool for 15 minutes before cutting into squares.

Cherry Chip Almond Cookies, Gluten Free

It’s time for summer fruit to take center stage... Cherries!

These little cookies are so tasty, they won’t last a day!  Luckily since they are low in sugar so you can have more than one.

• ·       1 ½ Tbs. grass-fed Ghee (or increase Coconut Oil to 3 ½ Tbs.)

• ·       2 Tbs. Coconut Oil

• ·       1/4 c. Pure Maple Syrup or raw Honey

• ·       1 hi-Omega3 organic Egg

• ·       ¼ tsp. pure Vanilla Extract

• ·       ¼ tsp. pure organic Cherry Extract

• ·       1 c. + 2 Tbs. blanched Almond Flour

• ·       1/3 c. Sorghum or Coconut Flour

• ·       2 Tbs. Flax Seeds, freshly ground (opt.)

• ·       1 tsp. Xanthan Gum

• ·       Pinch of Sea Salt

• ·       ¼ c. organic mini Dark Chocolate Chips, or chopped 80% dark Chocolate Bar

• ·       3 Tbs. fresh organic Cherries, chopped

Preheat oven to 325°.

Line baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper.

In bowl of a standing mixer (or use hand mixer) whip the butter, coconut oil, syrup/honey, and egg until frothy. Add extracts.

Continue beating on low and add flours, flax, xanthan gum, and salt. Beat on medium until well mixed. Remove bowl from stand and stir in chocolate chips and cherries.

Dampen your hands slightly and roll dough into 12 – 14 balls and place on cookie sheet 2” apart. Press down with tines of a fork in crisscross pattern to 2/3” thickness.

Bake for 14 – 15 minutes. Allow to cool on wire rack. Cookies are delightfully chewy.

~ Cheers! ♥

The Most Delicious Non-dairy Ice Cream!

Two new yummy words: ASHTA and MASTIC GUM.

Ashta is the creamy foundation of many Lebanese Desserts. It is made with either dry milk, or for a richer flavor half and half. It is used as a filling in shredded phyllo desserts, and in pastry. It is also served as a dessert with nuts, or frozen.

Lebanese Ice Cream

Lebanese ice cream contains mastic gum, which lends it a gelato-like texture. It comes in a myriad of flavors and is served in narrow cones.

Mastic Gum

This is a resin made from the pistacia lentiscus tree. The mastic plant originated in the Mediterranean nations in the south of Europe, northern portions of Africa, and the Middle East. The gum has a variety of uses in cooking, art, and alternative medicine.

For cooking, mastic gum requires boiling in hot water or another liquid, because the hardened resin will not dissolve in cold water. It comes in 'crystals' and can be crushed into a powder to add to puddings.

mastic gum

• 1 pint organic Vanilla Plant-based Ice Cream

• 1/4 c. Orange Blossom water

• 1/4 c. Rose water

• 1 c. finely chopped Pistachios

• 1/2 tsp. crushed Mastic gum

Crush the Mastic gum in a mortar and pestle till it becomes very fine (powdery).

Transfer ice cream to a bowl.  Add the flavored waters, mastic and 3/4 of the pistachios.

Mix well, but quickly so as not to melt the ice cream.

Transfer to a glass baking dish. Sprinkle remaining pistachios on top. Cover with wax paper and freeze for 2 hours or overnight.

You may cut into squares and store in a freezable container. 

Lime Coconut Cream for Citrus Almond Cake

Make 1 recipe of the Almond Citrus Cake, and bake in a 9" Spring-form pan.

While it cools, make the topping.

Lime Coconut Cream

• 1 15oz. can Coconut Cream (not milk)

• 1-1/2 Tbs. Lime juice or 1 tsp. organic Lime zest (optional)

• 1 tsp. Pure Vanilla extract (2 tsp. if you don't use Lime)

• 2 Tbs. Pure Maple Syrup

• 1/4 c. toasted Cashews or Hazelnuts, crushed

Refrigerate can of Coconut Cream upside-down, for at least 3 hours or overnight.

When ready to use... flip can back upright, and open. Any liquid should be floating on top. Drain the liquid carefully using the lid, so you don't lose any cream.

1. In a dry metal bowl, beat cream with mixer for about 3-4 minutes or until it thickens and holds soft peaks.

2. Add the lime juice and extract and beat another minute.

3. Add maple syrup and beat again, until the consistency is what you desire.

4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.  The cream will thicken considerable when chilled.

5. Spread on cake and garnish with nuts and/or fruit of your choice.

If you have leftover cream:

1. Use to top fresh fruit, or in cocoa, or oatmeal

2. Mix in chopped fruit and chocolate chips and freeze for a summer treat!

Pink Coconut-Banana Cream Squares with Chocolate Chips

Natural, vegetable-derived food coloring is thankfully now available, but using actual fruit and veggie juice is even better. I save the liquid after cooking beets for a pink dessert. Use strong flavors to mask the beet taste.

This treat is super simple and actually good for you.

Pink Coconut-Banana Cream Squares

• 1 can Coconut Cream (not milk), refrigerated overnight

• 1 organic Banana, mashed

• 2 - 3 Tbs. liquid from boiling organic Beets

• 2 Tbs. Psyllium Husk (don't skip this, if unavailable use freshly ground flax seeds)

• 1 Tbs. Chicory Root Powder (or Coconut Palm Sugar)

• 1-1/2 tsp. Orange Blossom Water (in ethnic section of market)

• 1/2 c. Dark Chocolate Chips (or Carob chips for Vegan)

• Blueberries and/or Raspberries for topping

Drain liquid from coconut cream. Place cream in mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 6 - 7 minutes.

Add mashed banana, and the rest of the ingredients. Beat for 2 more minutes until well mixed. Stir in Chocolate chips.
Pour into round remekins or a rectangular glass dish. (I don't recommend using metal pans for this dessert.)

Top with berries and cover tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve with more berries if desired.

Cheers! ♥

Dark Chocolate Black Bean Bars

• 3/4 c. cold-pressed Coconut Oil

• 5 oz. 85% organic Dark Chocolate, broken into pieces

• 2 c. cooked organic Black Beans, drained

• 3 Tbs. organic raw Cocoa Powder

• 3 Tbs. Coconut Flakes (more to taste)

• 1 c. organic Walnuts, roughly chopped

• 1 pinch of Pink Sea Salt

• 2 Free Range Eggs

• 3 Tbs. freshly ground Golden Flax Seeds

• 2/3 c. Birch Xylitol or 1 c. Chicory Root powder

Preheat the oven to 325°F and line an 11-inch square or 8 x 11 baking pan with parchment paper.

Melt the coconut oil on low heat in a medium size pan, add dark chocolate pieces. Stir around until the chocolate is completely melted.

Chocolate Black Bean Bars

Put beans, cacao powder, coconut flakes and 1/2 cup of the walnuts in a blender or a food processor. Blend for one minute or until well chopped, then add the chocolate mixture and blend for one more minute, scraping down sides once.

Chocolate Black Bean Bars6

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, add the flax seeds and xylitol and beat for one more minute.

Save 1 tablespoon of egg mixture in a separate cup and pour the rest into the chocolate and bean mixture and process just until incorporated.

Add remaining walnuts and dark chocolate and stir gently with a spatula to blend.

Chocolate Black Bean Bars7

Pour into the baking pan.

Drip the remaining egg mixture on top of the chocolate mixture and use a toothpick or a knife to create a marble effect.

Chocolate Black Bean Bars final

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes depending on size of pan. They might still feel a little soft in the middle when you test with a toothpick, but they will harden when they cool. These are decadently chocolaty!

You can spread a little no-sugar-added raspberry jam on top for variation.

~ Enjoy!  ♥

Zucchini Fudge Brownies

No one will ever guess these brownies are healthy! They are gooey and delicious.

black bean brownies

Recipe

• 1 c. organic Black beans, drained

• 1 under-ripe Banana, cut into 5 pieces

• 1/4 c. organic GF Oat or Buckwheat Flour

• 1/4 cup organic Raw Cocoa powder

• 1/4 c. organic Zucchini, shredded

• 1-1/4 tsp. pure Vanilla Extract

• 1/2 - 3/4 tsp. Cinnamon

• 3/4 tsp. Baking Powder

• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

• 3 Tbs. Birch Xylitol or 1/4 tsp. Monk Fruit powder

• 3 Tbs. pure Maple Syrup (opt)

• 2 Tbs. brewed Green Tea or Water

• Toasted Pecans (opt.)

Preheat oven to 375º F. Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Place beans and banana in food processor and pulse until completely mashed.  Add the rest of the ingredients and process until combined, scraping often.

black bean brownies 4

Pour batter into pan, spreading it evenly, and push pecan pieces into batter.

black bean brownies raw

Place pan on middle rack of oven.

Bake for 22-27 minutes, or until edges curl away from paper. The brownies may seem a little gooey, but they harden as they cool. Place pan on a rack and wait 20 minutes before cutting into squares.

Apricot Sherbert -Dairy Free

I remember Mom giving me a leg-up to get into the Apricot trees in our orchard in Lebanon, and picking the red-cheeked, juicy ones that were too high to reach from the ground. Our fruit picking trips always included a picnic featuring tasty Lebanese mezza dishes (appetizers) that Mom made the day before... Tabboouleh, stuffed Grapes leaves, homemade Arabic bread, Hummus or Baba ghannouj, cheeses, olives, fresh veggies, and watermelon for dessert.

1972

Recipe

• 2 lb. ripe Organic Apricots (@15)

• 1/4  c. Water

• ¾ c. Almond or Coconut Milk

• ¾ c. Birch Xylitol or 2 - 3 packets Stevia (to taste)

• 3 drops pure Almond Extract

• 1/2 tsp. Orange Blossom Water (Whole Foods or Middle Eastern market)

Split apricots and remove pit. Cut each into 1/6’s.

Reserve 1 Tbs. of the apricots.

Cook apricots in water in a non-reactive saucepan over medium heat, covered. Stir occasionally until cooked through, about 10 mins. Add milk.

Remove from heat and stir in sweetener. Let cool to room temp.

Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Stir in the extract, orange water and rest of the apricot pieces.

Chill thoroughly, then freeze in ice cream maker, or pour into Popsicle molds.

~ Sahtein! (double health) ♥

Chia Chocolate Cupcakes - GF & Vegan

For extra goodness: Melt 10 oz. 75 - 80% dark chocolate in a double boiler, add 1 Tbs. almond or coconut milk and 1 packet Stevia. Stir well and smear on the cupcakes as they reach room temperature.

Recipe

• 3/4 rounded c. Sorghum flour

• 3/4 rounded c. Potato starch or tapioca starch

• 1/2 c. unsweetened raw Cocoa Powder

• 1/4 c. Chia seeds

• 1 Tbs. ground Flax seeds

• 3/4 c. Birch Xylitol (or 3 packets pure Stevia)

• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

• 1 tsp. Psyllium Husk Powder

• 1 tsp. Baking Powder

• 1 tsp. Baking Soda

• 1 Pasture-Raised Egg (or 2 Tbs. freshly ground Flaxseed for Vegan)

• 3 Tbs. virgin Olive Oil

• 2 tsp. Vanilla

• 1/2 tsp. Distilled Vinegar

• 1 c. warm Water, Green Tea or Decaf Coffee

Line a 12-c. cupcake pan with paper or silicon liners. Preheat oven to 350º F.

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Add in the warm water (or tea or coffee), egg, chia seeds, oil, vanilla, and vinegar and beat until smooth. Beat for 2-3 minutes.

Scoop the batter into the 12 lined muffin tin cups.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Remove the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool completely.

~To Your Health! ♥

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie

oatmeal cran cookie

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie

• 1/2 c. Oat flour

• 1/2 c. Barley Flour

• 1/2 tsp. Psyllium Husk Powder

• 1 tsp. Baking Powder

• 1 Tbs. freshly ground Golden Flax Seeds

• 1/4 c. Virgin Olive Oil

• 1/2 c. Barley Malt Syrup *

• 1 large Pasture-Raised Egg

• 1 tsp. pure Vanilla Extract

• Generous 1/2 c. organic Rolled Oats (not quick-cooking)

• 1/2 c. dried Currants, Cranberries or Blueberries

Preheat oven to 350º F (175C).

oatmeal cran cookie

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, Psyllium and baking powder; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, syrup, egg, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture, and stir to combine. Mix in oats and currants.

Using 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll into balls or drop onto baking sheet lined with parchment (or lightly coated with Coconut Oil), about 1-1/2 inches apart.

Bake until lightly browned, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.

Cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days or refrigerate.

* Barley malt syrup is considered to be one of the healthiest sweeteners in the natural food industry. Made from soaked and sprouted barley, which is dried and cooked down to make a thick syrup, barley malt is a sweetener that’s slowly digested and gentler on blood sugar levels than other sweeteners.

~ Enjoy! ♥

Non-Dairy Fruity Parfait

Blueberries, our star Anti-oxidant fruit, is fun to cook with. And avocados... another super-anti-oxidant fruit, lends its creaminess to this parfait recipe that I adapted to be non-dairy and no-sugar (unless you choose to use honey).

Avocado-Blueberry Parfait

• 1 organic Lime

• 1 Avocado

• 1 c. organic Silken Tofu

• 3 Tbs. Honey (or 3 packets Stevia)

• 1 c. fresh organic Blueberries                            

• 1 tsp. Orange blossom water *

• 2 Tbs. Birch Xylitol 

• 2 tsp. Water

• 1 Tbs. finely chopped Mint leaves + 4 sprigs for Garnish

Zest the lime.  Squeeze the juice and set both aside.

Combine avocado, tofu, Stevia or honey, lime juice, and zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with metal blade.  Pulse about 10 times.  Scrape down sides of the bowl , and process for about 2 minutes, until tofu is smooth.  Chill while preparing the rest.

Place 1 Tbs Xylitol, 2 tsp. water and orange blossom water (or honey) in small pot over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer. Add the blueberries. Toss to coat and remove from heat.

Add chopped mint to the avocado mixture and stir.

Divide a third of the blueberries in the bottoms of 4 parfait or dessert dishes. Dollop with half of the avocado mixture. Top with another third of the blueberries, followed by the remaining avocado mixture. Top with the remaining blueberries. Garnish with the mint sprigs.

~ In Good Health! ♥

   *Orange Blossom water is the flavor that gives Middle Eastern Baklawa (not Greek Baklava which uses honey) its distinct flavor.  Place a few drops in your water for a refreshing flavor.

My Favourite Fruit Crisp

Peaches and Blueberries have a Glycemic Index of 30 per average peach and 33 per cup of blueberries, they're well below the 55 threshold.  There isn't quite anything like cooked sweet peaches served hot with cinnamon. 

Blueberry-Peach Crisp

• 6 -7  ripe organic Peaches or Nectarines, sliced                                       

• 1 c. organic Blueberries

• 2-3 Tbs. Arrowroot Starch                     

• 1/2 c. organic Rolled Oats

• 1/3 c. Sorghum flour (or Brown rice flour)             

• 1/2 c. Almond flour

• 1/2 c. Xylitol (3 tsp. Stevia or 1/8 tsp. Monk Fruit powder)

• 1 tsp. organic Cinnamon                                       

• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

• 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder                                          

• 6 Tbs. cold Coconut Oil

• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract                                              

• 1 - 2 Tbs Lemon Juice

• 1/2 c. pecans (opt.)

  Preheat oven to 350º (175º C).

Mix the vanilla and lemon juice into the peaches (use less if the peaches are very juicy) and place in a glass baking dish. Mix in arrowroot starch to thicken a bit and set aside.

Mix together the sugars, oats, flours, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder and blend well with a whisk or fork.

Add the cold coconut oil and work with your hands to until it's crumbly.

Add nuts and mix. Sprinkle this mixture liberally over the peaches. Bake for about 40 minutes.

Let it cool for 15 minutes until the juices firm up. Enjoy warm with a scoop of non-dairy ice cream!

~ Bon Apetit! ♥

Decadent Dairy-Free Mousse - Vegan + Sugar Free

Minted Chocolate Tofu Mousse

I love the combination of mint and chocolate.  If you don't, you can substitute orange zest or Rum extract for the mint.

• 10 oz. (1-1/4 c.) organic Silken Tofu

• 1 c.  Dark Chocolate, in pieces (I used 75% dark)

• 1/4 c. organic raw Cocoa powder

• 1/4 c. Green tea or Water

• 1 Tbs. Almond extract

• 1/2 c. Birch Xylitol or 4-5 packets Stevia

• 1/4 c. fresh organic Mint leaves, chopped  ( or 1 tsp. dry mint)

Place chocolate, cocoa, water, extract and sweetener in pot over medium-low heat (or in a double-boiler over simmering water). Stir until chocolate pieces melt and mixture is blended.

Remove from heat.

In a food processor, whip tofu until smooth.

Add chocolate mixture and process until shiny and well blended. Add mint leaves and pulse 4 - 5 times just until mixed.

Scoop into dessert cups or bowl. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Your mousse will be thick, rich and oh-so-good!  Sprinkle additional chopped mint on top for garnish.

~ Bon Apetit! ♥