Healthy Dessert Dips: Easy, Low Fat, and Sugar-Free



 

Geez! Every time I check out the recipes on Chocolate-Covered Katie’s blog, I immediately want to get in the kitchen and make them all! If only time was on our side…..like The Rolling Stones sing about; then I would make them all.

But, since that is not a reality, I picked one of the favorites among her viewers and set to make it myself; Brownie Batter Dip (the sugar-free version).

The pictures alone will make a full stomach create space to try this healthy recipe. Even better, the ingredients make it perfectly fine to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or…… *gasp* Dessert!

First, I set off to make the original SF Brownie Batter Dip from her website:

-1 1/2 cups chickpeas or white beans (1 can, drained and rinsed) (250g) - I used dried chickpeas that I soaked for 24 hours

-1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce – I used pumpkin puree and Greek yogurt

-2 tsp vanilla extract

-1/8 tsp baking soda

-heaping 1/8 tsp salt

-sweetener of choice, to taste – I used 3 packets of NuNaturals Stevia Powder and 12 drops of their Cocoa Bean Extract

-2 T cocoa powder

-optional ingredients: 1/4 cup quick oats or flaxmeal – Did not use

Blend all ingredients until very smooth.

Besides the notes above, I followed as prescribed and, well, look for yourself……

…it was amazing!

I devoured this immediately after I took the picture.

With the extra cup I had left, I mixed a 1/4 cup of peanut flour to make it really thick and used as a spread for pancakes, crepes, and a chocolate peanut butter sandwich. This WILL be made again!

With the success of the Brownie Batter Dip, I set off to make a similar version....

......here is what I came up with:

Creamy Peanut Butter Vanilla Dip!

 

-1 1/2 cups chickpeas (1 can, drained and rinsed) or dried chickpeas soaked for 24 hours

-1/2 cup steamed butternut squash puree

-2 tsp vanilla extract

-1/4 cup peanut flour

-1/8 tsp salt

-1 tsp cinnamon; plus more to sprinkle on top

-3 packets of NuNaturals Stevia Powder and 12 drops of their Vanilla Liquid Stevia

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth; scrape down the sides once or twice to get everything.

PB & Cinnamon Dip should be enjoyed by everyone!

Needless to say, the flavor and consistency overwhelmed me with delight. So smooth, thick, and peanut buttery; it is a pleasure to eat by the spoonful or spread on fruit, bread, or crackers! Since it has wholesome ingredients like chickpeas, squash, and peanut flour; you can guiltlessly enjoy this treat anytime! These foods provide plenty of high quality fiber, protein, essential vitamins, and nutrients; unlike the lack of nutrients you’d get in a Nutella breakfast.

Try this recipe and let me know what you liked or didn’t like or if you changed the ingredients.

Do you try to avoid sweets? Is it forced or just something you don’t care for?

I rarely indulge in actual sweets because I’m too concerned over the non-nutritional calories from sugar and damaged oils, so making treats like this is how I manage. Plus, plain steamed Brussels sprouts are considered a good treat to me, so I’d say I’m managing quite well!



We Need More Healthy Dessert Joints

 Sure, you can find several healthy food establishments in many areas of the US, but do they offer healthy desserts? I’m not talking about organic sugar and whole eggs from free range hens, no; we need places that offer desserts healthy enough to count as a nutritional meal.

Why? Where’s the fun in that, you ask? I understand dessert should be Dessert, but with increasing health problems, special diets, and people like me who just want treats without so many empty, over-processed calories, there’s a void to be filled.

This is something I think about while working (accounting doesn’t feed my imagination very well) and wishing I had my own food business. I like my job, but its still “work”; I’d like to earn my income from something I created and feel passionate about. This way it won’t be viewed as just a job where I work, it would be my own (ok, Kelley’s too) and I would be working with what I love….Food!


Assorted stevia baked goods ready for consumption!



The menu items wouldn’t require a lot of prep work with long wait times, just a nice place to have tea, coffee, and healthy treats like those seen on some of my posts or on Chocolate-Covered Katie’s Blog. Maybe there could be savory foods like the Clean Eating recipes on The Gracious Pantry for a healthy lunch. The menu should be relatively simple so customers can get in and get out; like a donut shop…..but not. Then there’s no reason to go to some unhealthy joint because of convenience!


Sourced from CCK's Blondie Batter Dip Post


I’ve been inspired to create many recipes based on those posted by Chocolate-Covered Katie, and it’s obvious there are many, many fans of her recipes. To bring these nutritious treats into a restaurant seems like a great idea to me. Yeah, you could measure out a tablespoon of cocoa, another tablespoon of flour, some salt, sweetener, puree of some sort, etc to make a Microwave Chocolate Cake at home and that would be fine. Or, you could go with some friends to each order your own microwave chocolate cake with ingredients of your choice (vanilla protein powder, peanut flour, whole spelt flour, etc.) and enjoy their company with a cup of tea or coffee.

Healthy dessert joints like this would prove to be popular hang outs around college campuses too. Hey, this might help offset the “Freshman 15”……or “20” or “50”……ok, I’ll stop.


Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Bread with sliced banana peanut butter and honey!


Wouldn’t you like a place to enjoy guilt-free fruit and squash “ice cream”, stevia-sweetened treats, grain-free cereal, or Baked Overnight Oatmeal snacks as a tasty treat that can double as a nutritious breakfast? For lunch, you could have healthy tuna/salmon cakes or a tasty mix of cubed sweet potatoes with black beans and tuna.


If you had a place like this to go, would you? If so, what would you want on the menu?

Don't Give Flowers for Valentine's Day.....Bake Something!

Tuesdays don't usually scream "Romance", but being Valentine's Day might help a little today. Do you have any plans today or are you more bitter than on a regular Tuesday? I had to laugh when passing by the card section at the grocery store yesterday to see guys holding flowers and franticly searching for the right card. Why laugh, you ask? Well, for one thing, flowers just die and they cost too much to just die so fast; and the other thing, they are too cliché, just like chocolate.

I'm not against “V-day” by any means, I just feel that it would mean more to create your own gifts rather than buy what stores have placed on their high traffic end-caps just because those items are "hot sellers." Luckily, Kelley agrees, or so she says. If not, I'd probably be one of those frantic guys in the card aisle too.

Kelley has come to expect that I will try and make my own gifts; she has plenty of construction paper cards with designs cut out of them to prove it. In addition to my one-of-a-kind paper cards, I like to try and make something for her too.

This year my gift was in the form of baked overnight oats soaked in Zevia Creme Soda and a strawberry puree.  The strawberries were meant to turn the oats red, for a romantice effect, but I guess I needed more since it didn't work. As you can see in the pic, they burned, but lucky for me, Kelley likes crispy burned things. So she enjoyed my edible homemade V-day gift. Success! My “card” came in the form of a small notepad paper with fluffy words and a picture of a stick flower (drawings last longer than the real thing)…hey, I’m no artist.

4 Strawberries pureed with Zevia Creme Soda added

Oats and Chia Seeds prepared to soak in Zevia overnight

Oops! Too long in the oven.  There were supposed to be hearts in there too...

If you don't feel like burning anything for your sweetheart, here are several healthy yet delicious treats from past posts I suggest you try. These are easy to make and can even be made ahead of time. Try one of these and make your loved one smile....

Crunchy Roasted Garbanzo Beans

Greek Yogurt Banana Bread

Frozen Fruit and Squash Puree

Easy Banana Ice Cream

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Mix

Homemade Rice or Regular Pudding sweetened with Stevia

There are plenty of recipes to try and one is sure to be a success with your loved one. Give one (or two) a go and let me know the result. Hopefully everyone is happy and healthy.

Enjoy your Valentine’s Day, everyone, thanks for reading!

Kelley, Happy Valentine’s Day to you. I love you!

Delicata - Fun to Say, Fun to Eat

What do you like most about the Fall? Is it the cool, crisp air, the bright, vibrant colors of nature, or maybe the food that’s in season? I choose all of the above, but really enjoy the wide availability of winter squash varieties. I am able to get squash like pumpkin (pureed in a can), butternut, acorn, or spaghetti year round, but my favorite is delicata squash.

 

Have you tried this squash before? The whole thing, even the skin, is so tender and sweet that when cooked can be consumed in its entirety. My face lit up with joy when I entered the store the other week and was greeted with a mound of delicatas just waiting for me to take home. I’ve mentioned how I enjoy blending squash and fruit together basically every day, and delicata squash is no exception; this stuff is a real treat!

 

Delicatas are very dear to me, but I felt like sharing the awesome flavor they provide by making a healthy pureed soup with delicata, cannellini beans, and ginger. The result was a big hit with Kelley and I loved it too! Now, once the Texas weather cools down to more “fall like” temps, I will make it again. Homemade soup purees are perfect to warm you inside and out!

 

The sweetness of the delicata makes it great in my blending creations without the need for fruit. I will add chunks of microwave steamed delicata (skin included) in a blender, add some protein powder, unsweetened almond milk, a pinch of salt, and blend away. The result is a tasty treat with a consistency similar to pudding, but oh so much better! Add unsweetened cocoa powder and vanilla stevia for a chocolate squash pudding that offers the perfect comfort to long day, week, month, etc.

 

Delicata, Cauliflower, and White Bean Ginger Soup

What You Need:

4 Servings

3 Delicatas – cut in half with seeds removed and steamed in microwave

6 ounces frozen cauliflower – you can use broccoli too, but cauliflower keeps it a pleasant color

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

15 ounce can of cannellini beans, drained – navy, lima, black, or other beans would work fine

Half of a yellow onion, diced – or use a 6 ounce bag of frozen, chopped onions

4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons each of cumin, paprika, ground mustard

1 tablespoon of parsley and dill

6 ounces plain, non-fat Greek or regular yogurt

2 cups of low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

 

What You Do:

 

Heat a sauce pan over medium-high heat; add garlic, onions, and ginger and allow to sweat (they will be fragrant) for minute or two. Add the steamed delicata in chunks, cauliflower, carrots, beans, herbs, and spices; pour broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stir, cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid left over, remove the lid and continue to simmer until some evaporates. Remove from heat and puree using an immersion blender right in the pot or blender. If using a blender, only fill half-way or it will be all over the kitchen…..and you. Stir yogurt into pureed soup, garnish with fresh or dried dill or parsley and toasted almond slivers if desired. Serve and enjoy!

 

As with most soups, ingredients can easily be substituted, so add in or take out things as you see fit. There are so many unique flavors that combine really well to give a comforting feeling upon the first spoonful. Make sure you have some hearty, whole grain bread toasted to use for dipping.

 

If you want to stick with a squash theme (and who wouldn’t!), here’s a quick chocolate squash “pudding” you can enjoy without guilt.

 

Chocolate Squash “Pudding”

2 Servings

Using 1 delicata squash that has been oven roasted or steamed and cooled; add to blender with 3 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 10-12 drops of regular or vanilla liquid stevia, vanilla protein powder (optional), large spoonful of plain, non-fat Greek yogurt, and 3/4 to 1 cup unsweetened almond milk; blend until smooth. You can omit the stevia and add a frozen banana instead; it adds a nice taste and texture….might as well add some peanut butter too. Yum, now I’m hungry….think I’ll have this tonight!

 

When it comes to blending, using tasty veggies like squash or carrots lets you create healthy alternatives to favorites like pudding, milk shakes, and ice cream. I try to make something different with what I have all the time; it’s fun and sometimes turns out great.

 

It has been busy at work lately, hopefully I will be able to post more than I have been. Please keep checking in as I received some awesome samples from Crunchmaster and will post a review soon.

 

Happy Eating!

Pretzels - Tasty Snack Food With a Twisted History

Crunchy or fresh-baked and soft, dipped in peanut butter, mustard, chocolate, or yogurt, pretzels are a versatile food enjoyed by many around the globe.  Soft pretzels are made to be consumed the same day and can be sweet with added cinnamon and sugar or savory with garlic, cumin, and other spices. 

Although big companies like Rold Gold butchered the pretzel and added a slew of uncommon ingredients like enriched flour and corn syrup, other companies do it justice with only what's needed.

Wikipedia explains the two main types of pretzel production in this link:

"....is made from wheat flour, water and yeast, glazed with egg wash, usually sprinkled with coarse salt, hand-sized and made for consumption on the same day. It is relatively soft, rather than brittle. To avoid confusion with any other kind of pretzel, German speakers call this variety "Laugenbrezel" (lye pretzel) because it is boiled in lye solution (NaOH) before baking. Sweet pastry pretzels with many different textures, toppings and coatings, are made. Crisp hard pretzels, e.g. pretzel sticks and a variety of shapes basically made from the same ingredients, have evolved from the lye pretzel by baking out excess moisture, thereby increasing shelf life and crispness."

The site explains a lot on the history and unknown origin of the preztel, but I will not yap on about that here.  I have found that the hard and crunchy or warm and soft pretzels are both welcome on my plate.  The soft versions are better for something savory like some good old-fashioned yellow mustard.  Add to that some slices of quality cheese and a tasty brew, and I'm one happy camper.

As for the crunchy guys; I like them with mustard, mixed with chocolate, dipped in cottage cheese or peanut butter, mixed with a carrot, or just by themselves.  Whatever form you enjoy, the average pretzel will have no fat and contain minimal ingredients; these are a much better alternative to potato chips.

On top of their simplistic ingredients, pretzel do offer some benefits like B vitamins (folate, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, and B6) and minerals (manganese, iron, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and selenium).  Do like me and seek out the whole grain variety for extra nutrition and stray away from anything enriched.

Here's a list of  my go-to pretzel companies that I can trust:

Unique Pretzel Bakery - I have my Mom's Pennsylvaia Dutch to thank for this being my number one favorite.  Their availability is limited here in Texas, but I have found stores that carry them for a price.  The best ones are their Sprouted Grain "Splits" that I feel are even better than just whole grain.  Either way, these are mine and my Mom's top pick.  Don't question the Dutch!

Snyder's of Hanover - Yes, they are a big company, but I feel they do the pretzel right, can't speak for some of their other products though.  I prefer the Organic Whole Wheat and Oat Sticks when choosing from their selection.  An added plus is the bag is made from post consumer materials.......which makes it very loud so no use being sneaky!  I do have a weakness for the honey mustard flavored nuggets, but only on very rare occasions....mmmmm.
 

 
Utz - You see a trend?  All of these companies are based in Pennsylvania; both Snyder's and Utz are in Hanover.  Like I said, don't question the Dutch, they must know something about making a pretzel.  They also make potato chips, but don't waste your time, pretzels are the way to go; my favorite is the Multigrain Specials.
 

Hopefully you can find one of these brands in your local store, but if not, their sites allow you to purchase online.  Isn't the internet amazing!
 
Here are ten ways to eat a pretzel that I found on this link:
 

 
Check out this link for recipes like macaroni and cheese with a pretzel crust or chicken with a honey mustard pretzel crust.
 
How do you like to enjoy your pretzel?  Post to comments to let us all know, maybe it's something I'd like to try!

Pretzel

Food Focus Friday: Peanut Flour

Peanut FlourEver have the craving for a lot peanut butter but cringe at the calorie content of just 2 tablespoons? We’ve all been there…heck, I’m there right now! Well, I just ordered something in hopes to quell my peanut butter cravings. What is it? Peanut flour from Byrd Mill; it comes in 28% and 12% fat contents but offers all the protein and peanut flavor. There are dark and light varieties for both fat contents and most reviews say the dark has a burnt taste…..so I opted for the light 12%.
The website says the following about their Light 12%:

“This Peanut Flour is lightest in roast, aroma and flavor of all of the peanut flours offered. It is an excellent protein source, containing a minimum of 50% protein. It works well in applications where the peanut flour is not needed for flavor. This light roast peanut flour is all natural and gluten-free. The serving size is 1/4 cup (24g). Calories 100. Calories From Fat 26. Total Fat 3g. Total Carbohydrates 7g. Dietary Fiber 3g. Protein 12g.”

After trying a few recipes with this newfound (for me) food, I’ll be sure to provide a review. I would like to try several baked good versions, add it to soups / stews, add a little water to reconstitute as “peanut butter,” and add to smoothies.
Here are a few recipes I might use as a basis (I never follow an exact recipe) once the flour arrives:

Peanut Butter Fruit Smoothie

I would use plain non-fat Greek yogurt instead of the flavored stuff and let the actual fruit along with some stevia do the flavoring.

Peanut Butter Pancakes

Triple Peanut Butter Cookies

The brown sugar would be minimal, if any at all in my version, but everything else sounds good!

Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup

MMMMmmmm, I can’t wait to try this one! Pureed soups are a big favorite of mine; all of the wonderful flavors are blended to perfection for comforting meal. Again, I’d lose the sugar called for in this recipe.

Besides recipes, I will just try mixing some in plain yogurt and cottage cheese for a quick and healthy treat packed with protein. Stay tuned, I can’t wait to talk about it!

Reconstituted Peanut Flour on Banana.....Nuff Said!

Before parting for the weekend, below are some interesting food news links for a good read.  The Food Pyramid is gone!!  I don't care about the plate, but wasn't too keen on the pyramid either.  I'd rather not have the government, who controls so much of agricultural production, tell me how I should eat. Until then, enjoy the pictures and let me know if you have any ideas on how to use this wonderful product.
Hello MyPlate. RIP MyPyramid. Five Comments

What is Soy Lecithin and Why is it Found in So Many Products?

Wonder Launches SmartWheat Bread. Does it Deliver on its Promise?

Time to Make the Healthy Donuts?

"Squashed" Again

Yep, squash is too good to have just one post.  So, today's post is more of a picture dedication to the wonderful, versatile veggie.  The various shapes, sizes, and colors of the squash family are all beautiful and unique, please enjoy!

Yes, this is butternut squash pureed with cocoa powder and a ripe banana.

Almost every night, I will get squash that I baked and pureed (about 3/4 Cup), put it in a blender cup, add some vanilla protein powder, frozen strawberries, blueberries, bananas, or a mix, some water, touch of milk, liquid stevia, and cinnamon and blend everything together.  This makes a great, low cal and healthy treat with a pudding/ice cream like consistency.  You can blend a multitude of ingredients with squash to make a creamy desert that offers way more than ice cream, but still has a lot of flavor.

You don't have to puree for a sweet treat.  Just peel, cube, toss in maple syrup or honey and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Delicata is my #1 favorite squash!  The skin is soft and sweet enough to eat after baking.  Try baking for 45 minutes at 375 degrees as seen above and add ground beef or turkey mixed with other veggies for a tasty meal the whole family will enjoy.

Sure, there's sweet potato fries, but why not butternut squash or pumpkin fries?  Sounds good to me!

Another tried and true way to enjoy....just add cubed and roasted squash to a salad.  Adding in some goat cheese makes for a real treat!

Funny looks, great taste.  Cut up and eaten raw with some salt is great, but steamed is just as good!

Nothing added but some awesome grill marks, that's all it needs!

I'm sold!  Add some arugula for even more depth and nutrition.

MMM, squash frittata.....good morning, noon, and night.

I hope these photos were enjoyable and inspired you to welcome squash into your kitchen.  This veggie favorite will find itself back on this blog frequently as there are so many types that can be used in many different dishes.

Until next time, remember to eat for pleasure, eat for health, and eat for life!