Category Archives: dessert

Cocktails and Popcorn Balls

22 Sunday Jul 2012

Posted by in dessert, DIY, Drinks

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Let me start by saying I can’t believe how fast this summer is going, and how much fun we have been having! Phew- I’m tired!

Last week I got to be apart of the Ebay Green Team at this years EVO 2012 Blog Conference (elevating woman in social media) at the Canyon’s Resort in Park City, Utah. Different companies sponsor the event and showcase their missions anyway they want, hopefully in way that will speak to the attendees and inspire them in their own lives. Ebay’s Green Team’s mission was to show case what it means to live green, from buying vintage furniture instead of new, buying organic cotton blankets and throws and decor made from recycled materials, to eating locally sourced food.

The food part is where I come in, I linked up my buddy from eBay (JD Norton) with my friend (Chantelle Bourdeaux and Lisa McCune of Juniper Co.) from Salt Lake to source the food, I was asked to represent the food! What a gig, you mean you are going to PAY me to talk to people about local organic food and why it is important? Guess how long it took me to accept this gig? 1.7 seconds!

During those three days we served food from all over Utah, cocktails made with local ingredients from Park City and Northern Utah, popcorn balls made with only TWO ingredients one from Park City and the other from Logan, local meat and cheeses from Heber Valley, Salt Lake City, and Eden, and local eggs from Provo were used in mini cheesecakes and quiches. The goal was that the attendees would feel inspired to make versions of the treats they had in our suite when they got home using local ingredients. It must have worked because my friend and fellow blogger Heidi Larsen did just that on her blog, foodiecrush, the great part is she used the original recipe and added her own twist. Mission accomplished!

Food:

High West Whiskey and Vodka Lemonade w/ Slide Ridge Honey– serves 1

1 1/2 shot glasses of High West Vodka or Whiskey

3 shot glasses SanPellegrino Orange soda (whiskey) or SanPellegrino Lemon Soda (vodka)

2 tsp. Slide Ridge Honey simple syrup (simple syrup-equal parts honey and water warmed together until combined)

ice, drinking glass, paper straws, slices of peaches (whiskey) slices of lemon and cucumber (vodka)

Directions:

1. Get out your drinking glass, add ice. Pour in the whiskey or vodka (I made both, during the conference I enjoyed the whiskey at home I enjoyed the vodka, you be the judge), next the orange soda (whiskey) or lemon soda (vodka) and then the simple syrup. Use your straw to mix well, garnish accordingly. Take a sip- Enjoy!

Popcorn Balls– makes 20-22 balls (These were the hit of our progressive dessert party the first night in the Ebay Green Suite @EVO)

14 oz. bees brothers caramel

16 c. plain pop-art popped popcorn

real salt to garnish

Directions:

1. Melt the caramel over a double boiler (glass bowl placed over a pan of simmering water) until the caramel is melted. When you lift the spatula out of the caramel it should drizzle back in the bowl in a steady stream.

2. Measure out 16 c. of popcorn into one large bowl or two small bowls. Pour the caramel over the popcorn. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix the two together.

3. When well mixed, use a 1/3c. measuring cup to portion out the caramel popcorn mixture. Form into a ball. Make sure not to squeeze the balls to tight! Continue with the rest of the caramel popcorn mixture until it is gone. Sprinkle with a pinch of real salt. Store the balls in an airtight container for a week or so.

Double Chocolate Everything Bars- Travel Food

06 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by in beans, breakfast, dessert, Snack, vegan

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Food:

3/4 c. buckwheat flour (you can grind your own or find in the bulk section of health food stores)

3/4 c. almond meal (you can grind your own or find in the bulk section of health food stores)

1/4 c. coconut flour (find in the bulk section of health food stores)

1/4 c. raw cacao powder (find in the bulk section of health food stores)

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/4 c. hemp seeds

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

big pinch, cloves, pumpkin spice, nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. chickpeas (fresh or canned)

2/3 c. nut milk

1 banana

1/4 c. coconut oil

2 T. tahini (you could use almond butter)

1/3 c. pure maple syrup

1 1/2 tsp.vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

2 carrots, shredded

1/2 dates, chopped

3/4-1 c. vegan chocolate chips, or carob chips

Directions:

1 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, lightly oil a 13×9 baking dish with coconut oil. In a large mixing bowl mix the buckwheat flour, almond meal, coconut flour, cacao powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin spice and salt. Whisk to combine.

2. Next add walnuts, hemp seeds, grated carrots and chopped dates to the dry flour mixture. Toss to combine.

3. In a food processor or high-speed blender mix the chickpeas, nut milk, banana, coconut oil, tahini, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix on high until well combined. Add this mixture to flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips. Mix well but don’t overmix!

4. Scrape the well mixed mixture into the lightly oil baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool, cut and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Love:

These little BIG nuggets of love have been a life saver in my life. They are full of yummy healthy ingredients like chickpeas, cacao powder and gluten-free flours! They are super easy to whip up and travel well, l I even packed them for our travels this week to Denver. They are like indulging in a moist chocolate brownie with the goodness of a granola bar or protein bar. I eat five times a day and these have been a great mid morning or late afternoon snack, I will even throw one in my purse if I think I might need something to hold me over. This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite blogs, My New Roots. She posted this recipe in an effort to help all of us with the wows of traveling and the sometimes limited choices when it comes to eating right on the go. These are a new staple snack in my house, and as I sit in a hotel surrounded by chain restaurants I am thankful I packed these morsels of love to keep me nourished.

Rhubarb-Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

21 Monday May 2012

Posted by in dessert, DIY, seasonal

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Love:

Up until last year all of my memories of rhubarb are from when I was a kid. This is probably because early in my life my parents had a garden, they only grew a few things like tomatoes, squash, raspberries, strawberries and rhubarb! In my mind I can still see that corner of the backyard where it grew. When my mom would cut a bunch to make her famous Rhubarb Coffee Cake, which is a recipe I highlighted last spring on the blog and she would always let me have a stem of that ruby-red bark to gnaw on. It was fibrous, tart and very sour and I loved it- still do.

Now days I just can’t get enough of the stuff, you would think I might have been smart enough to plant some in my yard last year, but no. So lucky for me my clients who know I love to cook and know that I will never turn down fresh goods from someones garden brought me my second bunch last week. With the first bunch I made the famous Rhubarb Coffee Cake which requires buttermilk, an ingredient that isn’t a usual staple in my house, but I wanted to make sure it didn’t go to waste. So let’s see, I had a new bunch of rhubarb, I had just picked up some organic strawberries and had leftover buttermilk- Viola! Rhubarb-Stawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream was born.

A funny thing about me is that I am not much of a sweets fan or an ice cream fan, weird right? My husband more than makes up for my lack of interest in sweets so I do my best to oblige him. But, there is something to be said about making your own treats and I love to experiment with seasonal ingredients sweet or savory. These days rhubarb can be used for both. This ‘ice cream’ is actually the perfect silky marriage of sherbet and sorbet. My husband thinks it taste like strawberry daiquiri ice, I think it taste fresh and tart which I love with just the right about of sweet. Enjoy!

Food:

Rhubarb-Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

2 1/2 c. buttermilk, room temp

1 c. strawberries, puree and strained

1/4 c. raspberries, puree and strained

4 1/2 c. rhubarb, chopped

1/4 c. water

3/4 c. sucant (sugar) + 6 T. sucant (sugar) I also think you could use fresh local honey or even maple syrup

1 T. pomegranate balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Scald the buttermilk in a small saucepan over medium heat, do not let it come to a boil. Pull the saucepan off the heat and add 6 T. sucant and whisk until dissolved. Let cool.

2. Puree the strawberries and raspberries in the food processor until smooth and then strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Set aside.

3. Place the rhubarb, 1/4 c. water and 3/4 c. sugar into a small saucepan over medium heat. When it comes to a boil turn the heat down to low and simmer until the rhubarb starts to get really soft. 10-15 min. Let the rhubarb cool a bit and then puree the mixture in food processor and add it to the pureed strawberries and raspberries.

4. Add the cooled buttermilk sugar mixture and the pomegranate balsamic vinegar to the fruit mixture, whisk to combine. Place the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Process in your ice cream maker according to manufacture directions. I processed mine for 25 min.

Oatmeal Banana Bread

25 Sunday Mar 2012

Posted by in breakfast, dessert, vegan

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Food:

Oatmeal Banana Bread

1c. oats (preferably gluten-free)

3/4c. walnuts, divided

1/3c. coconut flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

4 ripe bananas

1/2c. nut milk (I used Homemade Coconut Milk)

2 tsp. vanilla

6 T. coconut oil (if solid gently melt)

6 T. pure maple syrup

1/4c. sunflower seeds, hemp seeds and whole almonds- chopped

3/4c. vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Start by lining a loaf pan with parchment paper and preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Next place the oats and 1/2c. walnuts in the food processor, process until it looks like flour. Be sure not to over mix.

 3. Place the oat/walnut flour into a large bowl, one that is big enough to add the other ingredients to. Add the coconut flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder to this mixture and mix well with a whisk or fork.

4. Next place the banana’s, nut milk, vanilla, coconut oil and pure maple syrup into the food processor, process until all the ingredients are mixed well. The scent of this mixture is heavenly. Add this mixture to the dry mixture. FOLD all the ingredients together, DON’T OVERMIX!

5. Now add the chopped almonds, the remaining 1/4c. walnuts, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds and chocolate chips. Fold these in gently. Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. (Check the banana bread by inserting a toothpick into the center, if it comes out clean it’s ready) Let cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition:

Nuts and seeds- With their gold mine of healthy minerals and their niacin and folic-acid contents, seeds are an excellent nutrition package. They are among the better plant sources of iron and zinc. In fact, one ounce of pumpkin seeds contains almost twice as much iron as three ounces of skinless chicken breast. And they provide more fiber per ounce than nuts. They are also good sources of protein. Each seed has its own individual bang for its bite, reasearch each on and be amazed.

Coconut Flour- Coconut flour has a low glycemic index, which means it’ll keep you fuller for longer and gives you steady, balanced energy. Not to mention its 58% fiber content, ranking it the higher than bran!

Banana’s- They soothe the stomach and strengthen the lining against acid and ulcers. Has antibiotic activity. Bananas feed the natural acidophilus bacteria of the bowel. They are high in potassium which benefits the muscular system.

Oats- Oats provide and abundance of antioxidants and lignans which help protect against cancer and help stabilize blood sugar levels. Rolled oats, which are minimally processed are slightly less beneficial than steel-cut or whole oat groats.

Love:

This yummy, decadent, GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN Oatmeal Banana Bread will blow your mind, it is very similar to my Banana Date Muffins, but without the dairy. With the addition of the oat/walnut flour (which I learned about from My New Roots, and was the inspiration for this heavenly creation) this Oatmeal Banana Bread is on a whole other level. I have made it twice now and we (me, Billy and everyone who I served it to last week) are in love. Get in the kitchen and make a loaf, it’s easy-I SWEAR! Enjoy!

Minty Pea Dip & Pistachio Stuffed Dates- Spa Recovery Week

08 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by in appetizer, dessert, dips, Snack, vegan

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Food:

Minty Pea Dip- Makes about 2 cups

3c. frozen green peas, boil in salted water until tender 1-2 min, drain and toss into an ice bath, drain again

1/4c mint leaves, and parsley leaves

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 T. olive oil

1 T. tahini

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. All the ingredients go into the food processor and pulse until desired consistency. Refrigerate and serve with carrots or asparagus spears. Taste for salt and pepper.

Nutrition:

Peas- Peas might be lower in calcium and phosphorus than beans but provide similar levels of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. They are a good source of vitamin B and a variety of minerals. Green peas are a good source of vitamin C, K and carotenes.

Food:

Pistachio Stuffed Dates- Makes 16-22

16-22 dates (I buy the big ones w/the seed and de seed them myself. Just make a slit down one side of the date, open it up a bit and pull out seed-easy!)

1/2c. shelled pistachios

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of course salt

1/4-1/3c. toasted coconut (to toast: place coconut in a dry pan, turn heat to medium and toss a few times until toasted. KEEP AN EYE ON IT!)

Directions:

1. Place the shelled pistachios, cinnamon and salt in the food processor and process until a thick paste forms. About 5 min.

2. I use a 1/2tsp. measuring soon to spoon mixture out and fill each date.

3. Top the toasted coconut. Serve!

Nutrition:

Dates- Dates are a good source of fiber, an excellent source of easily digested carbohydrates. Dates are among the most alkaline of foods, and contain a special type of soluble fiber called beta-D- glucan which has been shown to decrease the body’s absorption of cholesterol and slow or delay absorption of glucose in the small intestine, thus helping to keep blood sugar levels even.

Love:

Let’s start with the minty pea dip, this is so easy so fresh and a super healthy snack. Love it! This would be great on bread with a sprinkling of cheese, or over pasta. Enjoy!

Now, the dates. I love dates, Billy not so much. When I first made these I had to tell him to close his eyes and open his mouth because I knew if he saw it or knew what it was he would be weird (that’s just how my sweetie is about a few things). Well guess what? HE LOVES THEM! He would like them to be a staple snack in our house. Funny man, but he’s right they are very delicious. I kinda think they would be awesome  wrapped with bacon and baked! Enjoy!

Both of these recipes came from Whole Living’s 28 Day Challenge (I changed just a few things)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

11 Saturday Feb 2012

Posted by in cookies, dessert, vegan

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Food:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies- Makes 24

Dry ingredients:

2c. buckwheat flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

-sift together in a bowl, set aside

Wet ingredients:

1/2c. peanut butter, organic (you could use almond butter)

1/2c. butter (vegan Earth Balance butter)

1/2c agave nectar

1 tsp. vanilla

*update- 1/2c. nut milk (I used coconut milk, not canned)

-melt the butter and peanut butter over low heat, when melted pull off the heat and add the agave, vanilla and nut milk

1c. vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets w/parchment paper. When you have mixed your dry ingredients and your wet, add them together and mix to combine. Don’t overmix.

2. Add in the chocolate chips. When all is mixed, use a tablespoon measure and scoop out a healthy scoop. Roll the dough lightly between your hands and place on the parchment lined baking sheet. Continue this until all the dough is gone.

3. Take the bottom of a glass and push down lightly on the mounds to flatten them just a bit. Place in the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Take them out of the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes. Eat right away or place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition:

Buckwheat Flour- Buckwheat’s beneficial effects are due in part to its rich supply of flavonoids, particularly rutin. Flavonoids are phytonutrients that protect against disease by extending the action of vitamin C and acting as antioxidants. Buckwheat’s lipid-lowering activity is largely due to rutin and other flavonoid compounds. These compounds help maintain blood flow, keep platelets from clotting excessively (platelets are compounds in blood that, when triggered, clump together, thus preventing excessive blood loss, and protect LDL from free radical oxidation into potentially harmful cholesterol oxides. All these actions help to protect against heart disease. Is a great alternative for those with a wheat sensitivity. Gluten-free! (Courtesy of World’s Healthiest Foods)

Nut Butter- Good-for-you nut butters contain a host of minerals and vitamins, offering  good-quality, usable protein. Wholesome nut spreads contain fiber and essential  fatty acids, making them a good choice for consumers who may be looking to replace margarine or butter with spreads that are more nutritious.

Chocolate- The saturated fats found in chocolate do not elevate cholesterol levels, unlike those found in meat and dairy products. Chocolate can be a rich source of flavonoid antioxidants, which are very important in protecting against damage to cholesterol and the lining of the arteries, flavonoids also prevent excessive clumping together of blood platelets that can cause blood clots.

Love:

Every year for Valentines Day I try to make my sweetie something special, sometimes those recipe fall into our eating for health plan and sometimes they don’t. Last year I made him a Peanut Butter Cheesecake (not part of the eating for health plan!) for a special treat, well this year I thought I would still use his two favorite pals peanut butter and chocolate to make something that fits a little better into the plan. Well- Voila! These were perfect and we are both happy. The buckwheat flour makes these a slightly drier cookie but if Bill-y gives the approval I know I’ve done good (he’s the treat freak in the house). Enjoy!

Raw Nut Balls

24 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by in dessert, Snack

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Food:

Raw Nut Balls- Makes 20 balls (I used a dough scoop that is slighlty bigger than 1T.)

1/4c. walnuts

1/4c. ground chia seeds (if you don’t have chia seeds just use 1/4c. extra walnuts)

1/2c. pitted dates

1/2c. raw cacao powder

1/4c. pure maple syrup

1/4c. raw agave necter

1/2c. pure almond butter (no sugar or oil added)

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt (I like REAL salt, or Celtic gray salt)

1/2c. whole almonds

2c. shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions-

1. Place the walnuts and ground chia seeds in a food processors and process until coursely ground. Add the dates, and pulse until combined with the nuts.

2. Add the cacao powder, syrups, almond butter, vanilla and salt. Process until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the almonds, and pulse a few times until combined- you want the almonds to still remain in crunchy chunks.

-side note- my food processor got stuck when I put the whole almonds in and tried to process the mixture. I took all of the mixture out of the food processor and processed   the mixture a little at a time until well combined.

3. Form the balls with a scoop and then roll them between your hands to form a ball. Roll the balls in the coconut. Place in a sealed container in the freezer until hardened.

Nutrition:

Nuts– Nuts and seeds offer protein and fat which convert to energy. This makes nuts and seeds perfect snack foods.

Cacao– Cacao contains the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world. By weight, cacao has more antioxidants then red wine, blueberries, acai, pomegranates and gogi berries combined.

Maple Syrup- Maple syrup is naturally processed sweetner from maple trees, it is only 65 percent sucrose and much less destructive to the body’s natural mineral balance.

Raw Agave Nectar- Use in moderation, but useful when a sweetener is needed and what is great about this sweetener is that it is a low glycemic sweetner. Translation- it won’t spike your blood sugar.

Dates- Dates are a good source of fiber, an excellent source of easily digested carbohydrates. Dates are among the most alkaline of foods, and contain a special type of soluble fiber called beta-D- glucan which has been shown to decrease the body’s absorption of cholesterol and slow or delay absorption of glucose in the small intestine, thus helping to keep blood sugar levels even.

Love:

I love these little nuggets of love. They are great when you just need a little something and they work well into my eating for health lifestyle. The template for these balls come from one of my favorite cookbooks ‘The Kind Diet’ by Alicia Silverstone. Sometimes you JUST NEED A TREAT! Treat yourself- Enjoy!

 

Spicy Cranberry Pomegranate Jam

10 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by in appetizer, dessert, homemade gifts

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In the summer we get blueberries, strawberries and raspberries to enjoy for just a short time, and if your like me you made jam and shared with those you love. Well in winter we get cranberries and pomegranates for just a short time so I just had to whip up some jam to savor these beauties. I am planning on sharing some as gifts and the rest will help me out with all those parties we have to attend where we are required to bring something to share, I can’t wait! I hope this recipe helps you out like it will be. Happy Holidays! ENJOY!

-Spicy Cranberry Pomegranate Jam- Makes 4 8oz jars

2 1/2 c. organic cranberries
1 c. organic pomegranate seeds
1 Fresno chili seeds and all, chopped (these add a sweet heat, if you want a spicier jam use a jalapeno)
1 1/2 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. pomegranate juice
2 tsp. pectin powder (I followed the directions from the Pomona’s Universal Pectin that best suited my recipe, be sure to adjust for whatever Pectin you choose to use. This brand contain no sugar or preservatives.)
4 tsp. calcium water (same info for this as above with the pectin powder)

-Directions-

1. In a large pot on the stove add the pomegranate juice, lemon juice and calcium water. Turn on the heat to medium, bring to a boil.
2. When the juice mixture begins to boil add the cranberries and Fresno chili, let this mixture boil until most of the cranberries have popped. Stir the mixture just a bit during this time.
3. When most of the cranberries have popped add the sugar and pectin powder, stir until those two ingredients have dissolved.
4. Pull the pot of the heat and add pomegranate seeds and stir to combine. Let the mixture cool just a bit and then portion it into your jars. Let cool completely before you top with the lids. Will keep for a month in the refrigerator.

Ricotta Cupcakes

02 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by in dessert

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http://orangette.blogspot.com/2005/10/going-steady.html

These cupcakes are so good! They came to be because I had leftover ricotta from making homemade ravioli and I didn’t want the ricotta to go to waste. So I did what I usually do, I started looking through some of my cookbooks looking for a special recipe to use my ricotta in, nothing came up. Next thought was to search some of the blogs I like to follow and just then I remembered that I was introduced to a new blog from a book we read in Slow Food Utah book club called ‘A Homemade Life’ by Molly Wiezenberg (I recently read this book in TWO days on a little getaway to Sundance with my sweetie). She has a blog called Orangette, so I did a search through her recipes and found this little gem of a recipe. I have made them twice in the last month- their that good. I posted the link above, I hope you’ll try them. They are simple to make but big on gourmet flavor. Enjoy!

Gluten Free and Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

15 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by in cookies, dessert, vegan

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 These are Gluten Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
These are Gluten Free Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
I have been making both of these cookies a lot lately, I don’t have a gluten intolerance nor do we eat vegan all the time but I love having these in my arsenal of recipes for a healthier treat, or for the friends in our lives that have special needs in the food department. I got these recipes for Elana’s Pantry, a food blog that I like to follow. Check her out! Enjoy!