Oct 6 2011

“Fat Tax” in Denmark – Interesting Article

Denmark has imposed a “fat tax” on fatty foods in an effort to convince Danes to
eat healthier. The tax is a complex one, in which rates will correspond with the
percentage of fat in a product. The value of the tax is about $3.00 for every
2.2 pounds of saturated fat.

This is one of the more interesting articles I’ve read in regards to a “fat tax”. I heard about this being in consideration a while ago, and thought it was an interesting idea… I know we all enjoy treats from time to time (sometimes more times than not), but this would be a great way to potentially curb people’s decisions on whether or not they purchase healthy foods. Can you imagine what it would be like if it were actually more expensive to buy the ”cheap, easy, and unhealthy” foods that so many people buy? Can you imagine what it would be like if it were cheaper to  buy a bag of almonds instead of a bag of chocolate/candy?

A common excuse for why people don’t eat healthy is that it’s too damn expensive to do so. I like to argue this point with people, because since I started buying healthier foods, my grocery bills are quite lower… However; if there were a tax on foods that are unhealthy, potentially a tax high enough for people to truly notice the price difference (and a tax that was high enough to make the healthier options cheaper), then maybe North America wouldn’t have such a problem with obesity. I know people like their butter, and their burgers, and whatever else… But I believe this to be a great idea. I’m not saying that everyone who is larger in size should lose weight, but I do feel it’s a great idea to incentivize people to make the right decisions when it comes to eating for optimal health.

I wonder what everyone else thinks…

Click here to read the full article, or click the quote at the beginning of this post!

Sep 25 2011

Peanut Butter & Carob Chip Cookies

So, there’s a thing. Here’s the thing: I work part-time in a grocery store. I actually love working there, because I have some pretty awesome co-workers AND I’m surrounded by food. A majority of the customers are great, too. Half of the customers are people who I end up having some really interesting conversations with about food, and I’d have to say that that’s probably one of my favourite things about working there…

With all the greatness that comes with enjoying a part-time job, there is one downfall… Some customers buy really, really tasty and tempting bad foods. I lose count of how many people buy packs of cookies. On one day a few weeks ago, it seemed that every customer that came through the check-out had peanut butter cookies. Then, one customer who didn’t have cookies was buying all of the ingredients to make peanut butter cookies. I couldn’t take it anymore! After my shift was over, I rushed home to make some myself! Though I skipped on some of the more common ingredients, and made a healthy little alternative! Chocolate also happens to be a big weakness of mine, but I’ve gotten really into carob as a replacement for chocolate. (I still eat chocolate…)

Anyways, that’s the end of my story… So here’s a tasty, soft, and chewy twist on a basic peanut butter cookie! Enjoy! I sure did… :)

Peanut Butter & Carob Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/4 cup turbinado sugar (you can replace this with whatever type of sugar you have on hand, however I really enjoy the flavour of turbinado sugar)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup carob chips

Method:

  • Pre heat your oven to 350.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat, and set aside.
  • Add all dry ingredients into a bowl.
  • Add all wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
  • Mix all until combined.
  • Spoon out about 2 tbsp of dough per cookies on the baking sheet. Press together with your fingers if it starts to fall apart.
  • Flatten the tops slightly with a fork, keeping the cookies about 3/4 of an inch thick.
  • If you like, sprinkle with a little more turbinado sugar.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are LIGHTLY browned. Don’t bake for longer than 20 minutes, otherwise they will dry out.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
  • Eat, and enjoy! :)

    So good... You need to taste these! :D

    So good... You need to taste these! :D

Sep 25 2011

Lemon Meringue Pie Minis with a Macaroon Crust

I’ve made these a few times now, and have enjoyed them each time. As the title says, these are mini lemon meringue pies with a macaroon crust. I find that the light taste of coconut really compliments the lemon curd used in this recipe.

For these little guys, I`ve found a way to make them just a bit healthier than the traditional lemon meringue pie. Taking away the traditional pie crust and replacing it with a tasty macaroon crust, removing egg yolks from the lemon curd recipe and increasing the amount of flavour with a few tweaks, and decreasing the amount of sugar in everything, allowed me to turn this into a dessert that`s a bit friendlier to those trying to eat healthy. Although, all treats should be enjoyed in moderation… But with these, it`s okay to have more than one… ;)

This recipe makes 8 minis. Enjoy! :)

Lemon Meringue Pie Minis with a Macaroon Crust

Macaroon Crust Cups Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (fine is best, but you can use larger flakes too)
  • 1/4 cup sugar (I like to use turbinado sugar for this)
  • 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg white

Lemon Curd Ingredients:

  • 1 cup fine white sugar (I usually try to avoid white sugar, but it just works really well for lemon curd…)
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 cups cold water
  • 2 tbsp corn starch (this is being used in place of the egg yolk)
  • grated rind from 1 large lemon
  • juice from 1 large lemon (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 tbsp butter (again, I try to avoid butter at all costs… However, it gives the curd a bit of a creamy texture just by adding in the smallest amount. You can omit the butter if you wish!)
  • 1/8 tsp orange extract
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Meringue Ingredients:

  • 3 egg whites (room temperature)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (you may need a pinch more if you have troubles getting your meringue to stiff peaks!)
  • 4-5 tbsp fine white sugar (less or more, judge by your own taste! Try to keep it under 6 tbsp though, otherwise you may have trouble with the egg whites…)

Method:

  • Pre heat the oven to 350.
  • ***Make the macaroon crust cups:
  • Mix all macaroon ingredients in a bowl.
  • Divide the mixture evenly into 8 paper muffin cups (about 2 tbsp per cup)
  • Dip your thumbs in a bit of water, and press the mixture into the bottoms of the muffin cups, and a half way up the sides. Make sure the mixture is smooth.
  • Once you’ve done this with all of the cups, bake in the oven for 15 minutes. The edges should be golden brown.
  • Note: check the cups half way through. If they start to puff up in the middles, you will need to use a wet spoon to press the middles down.
  • Once done, remove from the oven, and set aside to cool while you make the lemon curd. Keep the oven on.
  • ***Make the lemon curd:
  • In a sauce pan, combine the 1 cup of sugar with the 1/4 cup of corn starch.
  • Set the sauce pan over medium heat, and slowly add the water while whisking until everything is smooth and combined.
  • Whisk in the 2 tbsp of corn starch.
  • Continue to whisk over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. This may take 10-15 minutes. Just keep whisking!
  • Once you’ve reached a boil, continue to whisk and boil for about 1 minute. If you stop whisking, the mixture will burn. Once the mixture has become thick, you can remove it from the heat.
  • Add in the rest of the lemon curd ingredients, and stir until combined.
  • Spoon the lemon curd into the macaroon crust cups. (About 2 tbsp per cup. You will have curd left over, so if you like you can put it in a glass jar once it cools and use it for another recipe!)
  • Set the filled cups aside in the fridge to cool while you make the meringue.
  • ***Make the meringue:
  • Put the egg whites into a clean bowl that has not come into contact with anything greasy. Grease/fat is an enemy of whipping egg whites into meringue.
  • Add the cream of tartar and vanilla extract, and using a hand mixer on a medium-high speed, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. When pulling the whisk away from the egg whites, soft peaks will pretty much look like a bird’s beak at first, but then the egg white falls back into itself. The egg whites won’t hold their shape fully, and won’t be that glossy. I also talk a bit more about meringue here, so check it out if you like!
  • Once the egg whites are at the soft peak stage, you can slowly add the sugar while whisking. Set the speed on the mixer to high now.
  • Continue to whisk until the egg whites are at stiff peaks. When pulling the whisk away from the egg whites, stiff peaks will maintain that “bird beak” shape. Also, when you hold the bowl upside down, the egg whites will stay where they are. (Although, you may not want to use that as a method to test what stage the egg whites are at…)
  • ***Prepare the cups for baking:
  • Once the egg whites are at the stiff peak stage, remove the filled macaroon crust cups from the fridge, and top each cup with 2-3 tbsp of the meringue. What you want is a nice puffy “cloud” of meringue on top of each cup. Using a spoon, you can spread the meringue on each cup to make sure the meringue covers the whole top of each cup.
  • Sprinkle the tops of each cup with some flaked coconut, and bake in the middle rack of the oven (which is still at 350) for 10-15 minutes.
  • When they are done, the meringue will be lightly browned at the edges, the coconut flakes will be lightly browned, and when you touch the meringue it won’t stick to your finger.
  • Allow to cool completely before eating.
  • These can be stored in the fridge over night, but should be eaten within 2 days.

    Finished product! :) Mmmmm...

    Finished product! :) Mmmmm...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home made lemon curd :)

Home made lemon curd :)

Aug 19 2011

Clean Chocolate-Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

I haven’t had as much time as I’d like to be updating this blog, but I”ll have more to post soon! :) For now, this is going to be an entry that’s short and sweet, just like these cookies! If you’re into eating clean, these are the perfect little things to snack on and not compromise on nutrition. Enjoy! :)

Clean Chocolate-Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats (quick cooking)
  • 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
  • 1 scoop carob powder (you can use cocoa powder if you like, but carob powder is naturally sweeter! So no need to add any extra sugar… ;) This scoop should be the same size as the scoop of protein powder.)
  • 2 tbsp almond butter
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 egg whites (or egg replacer)
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Method:

  • Pre heat oven to 350.
  • Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
  • Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
  • Roll into 12 balls, and place each ball on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Press your thumb lightly into each ball, but keep the cookies thick!
  • Bake for 10-14 minutes.
  • Remove from oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, and enjoy minus the guilt! :)

    mmmmm

    mmmmm

 

Jul 29 2011

Easy Cocoa Protein Granola Bars

I really like granola bars because they’re a quick snack that you can have on the go. As much as I enjoy those chocolate dipped peanut butter granola bars, they’re really not that healthy. I’ve made granola bars before, but there’s just something about these ones that stand out above the rest. This recipe makes anywhere from 6-9 granola bars/cookies depending on how big you make them. Enjoy! :)

Easy Cocoa Protein Granola Bars

Dry Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup protein powder (I used Bodylogix Vanilla Protein Powder)
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • pinch of sea salt
Wet Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (or any nut butter of your choice)
  • 3 tbsp vanilla almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • about 1/4 cup of your favourite dark chocolate (try to keep it above 70%)
Method:
  • Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper, or a non-stick baking mat. Set aside.
  • Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl, and set aside.
  • In another bowl, mix all wet ingredients, and microwave for about 25 seconds.
  • Stir all wet ingredients together until incorporated. The peanut butter and almond milk may separate a little bit, but that’s okay! If everything isn’t completely melted and in liquid form, just microwave it for a few more seconds.
  • Add all dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients, and stir until a dough forms.
  • Form a small handful of dough (about 1/3 of a cup) into either a bar or a cookie shape, and place on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Repeat this with all of the dough until you have used it all.
  • Place baking sheet in the fridge for about 20 minutes to allow the bars to firm up, and then they’re ready to eat!
  • Bars can be kept in the fridge for up to a week in an air tight container, however the quantities of this recipe are small enough where the bars can easily be finished within a couple of days! ;)
Yummy! :)

Yummy! :)

Jul 28 2011

Strawberry Banana Parfait Smoothie

One of my favourite things about smoothies is that you can make them taste like dessert. Orange creamsicle smoothies, banana cream pie smoothies, pumpkin pie smoothies, and the list really can go on and on and on… They’re so versatile. As with alcoholic shots/drinks, you can also make the smoothie in layers so that it’s more pleasing to the eye… Today I decided to play around with my smoothie, and came up with a parfait smoothie! The version I made today is a bit of an “adult smoothie”, however you can omit the alcohol all together if you want to make it more kid/non-alcohol drinker friendly. The best part is how simple it is to make!

Strawberry Banana Parfait Smoothie

Bottom Layer Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
  • 1/2 shot of vodka
Top Layer Ingredients:
  • 1 chopped up frozen banana
  • 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choice)
  • 1/2 shot Galliano Smooth Vanilla
Method:
  • Blend all bottom layer ingredients together, and pour into a tall glass.
  • Blend all top layer ingredients together, and pour on top of the bottom layer.
  • Sprinkle the top with a bit of vanilla sugar, and serve with a straw or a stick to stir it all together with!
  • Begin happy hour, and enjoy! :)
strawberry banana parfait smoothie! :)

strawberry banana parfait smoothie! :)

Jul 4 2011

More Recipes Coming Soon!

Things have been hectic… When life gets crazy, I get lazy [in the kitchen]… However, I do have some tasty recipes that I will be posting soon! :)

May 23 2011

Cocoa Irish Oat Cakes

When I was trying to find a new cracker recipe on the Whole Foods app for the iPhone, I came across a recipe for Irish oat cakes. The original recipe seemed a little boring, and it used butter (which I try to avoid), so I decided to make my own version of the recipe inspired by the original. These little guys go great with some raspberry honey that I purchased from The Bee & Me tent at the Milton Farmers Market this weekend. I also used the honey in the recipe instead of just plain liquid honey.

Here’s my take on Irish Oat Cakes, with a little cocoa! :) Enjoy! :)

Cocoa Irish Oat Cakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup oat flour (you can purchase this already made, or you can simply grind rolled oats in the food processor/blender until it resembles flour)
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp raspberry honey (or regular liquid honey if you like)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg white (use two if dough is too dry)

Method:

  • Preheat your oven to 325 F.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or a silicon baking mat, and set aside.
  • Add all ingredients into a bowl, and mix together.
  • The mixture will be quite crumbly, so once it’s all mixed together well, transfer the ball of dough to the baking sheet and roll/press it flat. It should be about 1/4 of an inch thick. If the edges are starting to crumble off, just use your fingers to press the dough back together.
  • Once the dough is flat, use a knife to make lines in the dough where you’ll want to cut it once it’s done.
  • Bake for about 25 minutes. The edges will be slightly darker (but not by much), and the dough will feel dry to the touch.
  • Remove from the oven, and use a knife to cut into each line. Set aside to cool completely before eating.

    Yummy :)

    Yummy :)

May 17 2011

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Waking up this morning, I was presented with a few dilemmas:

  1. There are three bananas on the counter coming up to that point where they’re past their prime, and I already have about 20 bananas in the freezer for smoothies. (I believe my husband thought I was a bit strange when he saw that the freezer was filled with bananas…)
  2. I have a nice, nasty little cold right now, which makes me crave sweets as a comfort food. I’m trying to eat healthy, so I don’t want to go out to get junk food.
  3. Because I’m sick, there’s no way I’m going to go out and get junk food. I’m surprised I can even get off of the couch for more than five minutes.

The solution: healthy cookies with bananas! These turned out so soft, and so yummy… There’s no butter, no eggs, no junky stuff, and barely any sugar. They’re filled with a whole bunch of flavour and goodness! This recipe makes 12 medium-sized cookies, about an inch thick. They almost have a cake-like texture, very similar to a chocolate crueller or something. I am embarrassed to admit that I’ve already eaten four of these. Anyways, here’s the recipe, enjoy! :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Dry Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup oat flour
  • 1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp ground flax-seed
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder

Wet Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choice)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp organic cane sugar (this obviously isn’t a wet ingredient, but is mixed in with them anyways)
  • 1/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ripe banana

Solid Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup carob chips (you can use regular chocolate chips if you like, I just really LOVE carob chips.)
  • 1/2 cup crushed walnut pieces (this is optional also, so feel free to omit if you don’t like walnuts.)

Method:

  • Pre heat your oven to 325 F for convection ovens. (If not using a convection oven, pre heat to 350 F)
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat (or any silicone baking mat), and set aside.
  • In a bowl, sift together all dry ingredients.
  • In another bowl, mash the banana, and add all wet ingredients to the mashed banana.
  • Pour the wet into the dry.
  • Add the solid ingredients, and stir together until everything is combined.
  • Because it’s a dough that’s a bit on the dry side, I like to get my hands right in there and mush it all together, so don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty!
  • Using your hands, shape pieces of the dough into balls about the size of a golf ball (or a little bigger), and press into a patty that is about 1 inch thick. These don’t really spread while baking, but you also want to make sure that they maintain that cake-like texture because it’s pretty darn good!
  • Once all of the dough is shaped and on the baking sheet, pop it into your oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Make sure to check the cookies at 15 minutes. The bottoms of the cookies will be slightly darker than the rest of the cookie. If it’s looking a lot darker, take them out!
  • Allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then eat and enjoy! :)
  • Note: I made these in a convection oven, so my cooking time was longer. (Lower temperature, slightly longer cooking time, however they cook perfectly even.) So if you don’t have a convection oven, keep it at 350 F, and cook for 10-15 minutes.

    Three tasty (and guilt-free!) cookies with an almond milk latte. Now that's a tasty snack! :)

    Three tasty (and guilt-free!) cookies with an almond milk latte. Now that's a tasty snack! :)

May 17 2011

House Cake Project – Joe’s Peanut Butter Cup Birthday Cake

Last year for Joe’s birthday, I made him this cake. The layers were a tasty combination of:

  • rainbow bit sponge
  • vanilla cream cheese frosting
  • sliced strawberries
  • cheesecake {no crust} with strawberry preserve swirl
  • vanilla cream cheese frosting
  • sliced strawberries
  • rainbow bit sponge
  • strawberry preserve glaze on top of cake

So this year, I had to think of something different for him. The sweets that I’ve always known he loves are cheesecake, stale candy (don’t ask, it’s weird, right?), and peanut butter cups. One thing I also know he doesn’t love is fondant. I’m okay with that, because a lot of people don’t really like fondant. I will even peel most of it back when eating cake. (I’ll eat some of it though, especially if it’s a tasty brand like Virgin Ice Rolled Fondant! You can get it at the Bulk Barn for about $15 per 4 lb tub.)

I decided I was going to make him a peanut butter cup cake. (Not “cupcake”…) I didn’t shape it like a peanut butter cup, instead I allowed the cake to represent the flavours of the peanut butter cup. Here’s what I did for the cake:

  • Sponge is rainbow bit (of course)
  • Frosting in between layers is a mixture of vanilla and about 3 tbsp natural creamy peanut butter.
  • Frosting on outside of cake is milk chocolate.
  • Side of cake is decorated/coated with cut up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
  • Top of cake is decorated with “blobs” of vanilla-peanut butter frosting, and topped with more peanut butter cups.

Note: With the cake flavour, because I used a chocolate frosting with MANY peanut butter cups, and because the frosting on the inside of the cake was so rich, I wanted to make sure the cake had a light flavour to help balance it out. It’s a pretty heavy cake, even with the vanilla sponge being used instead of peanut butter or chocolate.

Simple as that! Now here’s a few pictures of this tasty mess!

In all of it's peanut butter filled glory...

In all of it's peanut butter filled glory...The top :)

The tasty, tasty side... *drools*

The tasty, tasty side... *drools*