A Bag Of Greens

No matter what the season, for me, it seems like a salad is always what sounds good for lunch. The crunchy greens with the fresh, raw veggies and then whatever else I find in the fridge to throw in, makes a meal that I always think is "the best salad yet!" 

And that is always different, because what's in the fridge is always changing on this adventure of creative cooking!  One thing that I do keep as a constant though, is the use of a lot of interesting deep green lettuces and herbs as a base. 

Now if I'm making a salad almost every single day for lunch, not to mention sometimes as a side dish at dinner, I would end up spending the time over and over getting ALL of those separate items out, washing the lettuces, herbs....chopping them, putting them all back in their containers or bags... But why would I when I can expedite the whole process in one easy step?? Of course there is a simple solution for all this!!  

An extra large zip bag of ready washed, already chopped, wonderfully assorted seasonal greens... ready to go!  I love my big bag of greens!!!  I just take it out, shake some into my bowl and start adding to it--that becomes my creation of the day  :)

And what do I include in my big bag of greens? I'm glad you asked. A variety of lettuces like arugula (a.k.a. rocket ) that adds a peppery flavor, butter lettuce with its more mellow taste and texture, mache (also called lamb's lettuce) a sweet, nutty flavor, mesclun (which means "mixed") traditionally composed of several varieties, mizuna which is an Asian type of mustard greens, radicchio with its own peppery, slightly bitter flavor, romaine... and the list goes on. To all that I add cabbages (green, red, Asian...), bok choy, spinach, kale, celery, (which are really vegetables), then my favorite--herbs...fresh parsley, cilantro, mint, dill, thyme... Of course I don't include all of these in every bag.

Just what ever looked particularly fresh and yummy at the market. I only chop up what I know can be used in the next 4-5 days, so it's always fresh.  I also put a clean piece of paper towel that has been dampened with water and lemon juice in the bag to help keep everything fresh and wholesome.

All of that ends up being a lot!  A lot of savings (by not buying the pre-washed/pre-packaged versions--this is just a home-made version of the prepared lettuce mixes!), a lot of vitamins, minerals, fiber and fresh, raw nutrition...all in a big bag of greens!  I hope this idea is helpful to you  :)

P.S. My salad in the picture has 20 ingredients. Can you spot them all?

Like to see more Delightfully Free? Check out Delightfully Free.com

~Tracy

About Delightfully Free: Delightfully Free is a gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free cookbook of 141 recipes. It includes delicious resources for autism, Celiac disease, diabetes, lactose intolerance, obesity and just plain healthy living. It contains 114 color photographs, 114 vegetarian or vegetarian compatible recipes, and 103 vegan or vegan compatible recipes.

Berries For Breakfast

The new year is  almost here, and with it a new crop of seasonal produce. It's time again to welcome...BERRIES!!! Berries are a forerunner of spring, and that is something to get excited about!!   As soon as strawberries, blackberries and blueberries show up at the market, I go crazy coming up with more healthy, colorful, sweet dishes than I know what to do with!

I will be very busy creating berry sweet desserts, snacks and breakfasts in the next months ;)  And speaking of breakfast...do you want to know what my current favorite breakfast is? {It changes periodically}. This one's SO easy and so incredibly packed with nutrients! And it is also absolutely delicious!!  {Isn't it fabulous that all of this can be true of one dish?!}...It is simply a bowl of nutritious, steel cut oatmeal with agave nectar, cinnamon and every berry I can find {along with fresh peaches or nectarines}, and a handful of chopped walnuts. 

I eat this many mornings, with a little vanilla rice milk on top, and it's almost like eating dessert!!!  It is also very pretty, so I thought I would take a picture to inspire those of you who might be a bit skeptical  :)  More on berries in my new cookbook...


~Tracy

About Delightfully Free: Delightfully Free is a gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free cookbook of 141 recipes. It includes delicious resources for autism, Celiac disease, diabetes, lactose intolerance, obesity and just plain healthy living. It contains 114 color photographs, 114 vegetarian or vegetarian compatible recipes, and 103 vegan or vegan compatible recipes.

Linked to ~ Fat Tuesday, Domestically Divine, Return To Loveliness, Frugal Days

Taste Testers: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Another cool piece of feedback from my niece Katie, a college student, who has been testing out my recipes by feeding them to her roommates:


"These cookies are so good!! I made them last night and half of them were gobbled up within ten minutes. All of my roommates had great things to say. Even my roommate who doesn’t like “healthy” things loved them! I think the flavor is awesome, so rich and wonderful. They also are fluffy, which is hard to come by sometimes, especially with gluten-free stuff."


Thanks so much for all of your help Katie :)


Like to see more Delightfully Free? Check out Delightfully Free.com

Coconut Sugar ~ It's Sweet

With all of this cooking and baking, I needed a few things, so I took a trip to one of my favorite markets...Whole Foods.  I went straight to the baking aisle....and made a run on the coconut sugar! Yep, I bought all they had! Okay, there were only 2 bags left :)

So, having taken the last two, I felt the need to talk with the buying department about the importance of stocking plenty of coconut sugar. Sue, who works at my local Whole Foods in special orders, pointed out to me that coconut sugar {also called coconut palm sugar} is available in two other departments besides baking supplies. Now I didn't know this {wish I had} and I thought that I should let you know in order to make your shopping trips easier.  

Most Whole Foods actually carry 3 or more brands of coconut sugar in 3 different departments...On the Baking aisle they have my current favorite, "Sweet Tree" organic coconut palm sugar in a 16 oz bag for $4.39.  In their Raw Foods department {my oldest daughter's favorite section of the store}, they have "Essential Living Foods" organic coconut sugar in an 8 oz size for $4.99--a great price for raw sugar!  Also in the Raw Foods department they carry "Coconut Secret" brand organic coconut sugar in a 12 oz canister for $8.99.  In addition, in the "Bulk" department you can buy "Essential Living Foods" organic coconut sugar by the ounce or pound at $4.39 per pound. How great is that?

Why am I so excited about coconut sugar, you ask? Because finally we have a natural, healthy sweetener that comes in a granular form.  This helps out in a wonderful way in the world of gluten free, naturally sweetened baking and cooking because it allows us to achieve some of the textures and consistencies that were nearly impossible before. 

Not that coconut sugar is really new, it has been produced and used in south east Asia for thousands of years.  What's great is that in the last few years it has emerged as a new healthy alternative to cane sugar and is rapidly gaining popularity by the health community and health industry. 

Coconut sugar has a super low glycemic index of 35 compared to that of corn syrup at 75, refined, pasteurized honey at 75, table sugar at 80, high fructose corn syrup at 87 and glucose {or dextrose} at 100. Furthermore, coconut sugar boasts an extremely high nutrient content, higher in Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc and Iron than agave nectar (which I am crazy about), and is a natural source of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C. 

Still another great aspect of coconut sugar is that it contains only 148 grams of carbs per cup compared to agave nectar which has 256 grams per cup. Some recent medical research has suggested that a diet low in carbohydrates is beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes, in which case choosing coconut sugar can be a huge help.

All in all, coconut sugar rocks my world {that is my world of cooking, baking and eating}, and I am very happy to pass this awesome info on to you!

More info:

http://www.wholefoodsmagazineonline.com/grocery/new-products/coconut-sugar

Some good general info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_sugar

~Tracy

About Delightfully Free: Delightfully Free is a gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free cookbook of 141 recipes. It includes delicious resources for autism, Celiac disease, diabetes, lactose intolerance, obesity and just plain healthy living. It contains 114 color photographs, 114 vegetarian or vegetarian compatible recipes, and 103 vegan or vegan compatible recipes.

Melt In Your Mouth, Monday Mania, Modest Monday, Traditional Tuesdays,
Proverbs 31, Simple Lives, Green Resource, Thank Your Body, Frugal Days,
Whole Food Wednesday, Pennywise Platter, Gluten Free Wednesdays

Dark Chocolate Truffles

We are smitten with chocolate! Am I the only one? Well today is not a day to go without chocolate :) Melinda Lee says, "People need chocolate to make them happy." Let's take that a step farther--I say that people need healthy chocolate to KEEP them happy. 

Good health is something to be very happy about. So eating naturally sweetened, DF chocolates today will bring us more happiness down the line. So while we are making our chocolate healthier with almonds, let's get REALLY crazy and throw in some black beans!! That's right. Why not?

Everyone knows that black beans are a very nutritious food. Besides being high in protein, they are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. And another job high fiber does is it prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly--so they're a great addition to chocolate! 

Seriously, no one will EVER believe that you hid black beans in your brownies!!! Give it a try and see if you can tell... these guys are so ridiculously good that I'm guessing NOT!  I told you that I was getting very creative with chocolate and almond ideas :) Well, here are my latest chocolate goodies. I hope you like them.  They make easy, cute gifts for V Day.  Let me know if they're chocolatey enough for you!!!

Black Bean Chocolate Brownies

3 eggs

1 15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

½ cup cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

¾ cup coconut sugar

4 tablespoons agave nectar

1½ teaspoon non-aluminum baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons coconut flour

2/3 cup chopped toasted almonds

2/3 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks, such as Trader Joe's dark chocolate “Pound Plus” bar, cut into small bits with the point of a sharp knife, working on a cutting board.

Preheat oven to 350°

Brush or spray 5 6-ounce ramekins or an 8 x 8 inch pan.

In a blender or food processor, put all ingredients except for the chocolate chips or chunks, and the almonds.

Process 2-3 minutes until all is throughly blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.

Pour the batter into the ramekins or pan.

Sprinkle with almonds and bake 14-15 minutes for ramekins, 18-20 minutes for an 8 x 8 inch pan, or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Cool on a wire rack.

Dark Chocolate Hearts

8 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (cocoa mass)

¼ teaspoon 100% pure stevia extract powder if you are a dark chocolate lover.  But, if you like your chocolate a little sweeter, add a pinch more stevia and/or a tablespoon more agave nectar.  {100% pure stevia extract powder is different from stevia.  It contains no lactose and is more concentrated and thus much more intense.}

6 tablespoons agave nectar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons whole coconut milk

Spray or wipe the heart mold with grapeseed oil.

In a double boiler or in a medium pan over boiling water, melt the chocolate.

Remove from heat.

Moving quickly, stir in the stevia, agave nectar, vanilla and coconut milk.

For the heart candies, simply press the chocolate mixture into each heart mold.

Press down gently with fingers to cause the chocolate mixture to take the heart shape solidly without bubbles.

Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until the chocolate heart is hardened. 

Remove from mold and enjoy!

***note:  For this recipe, in order to make heart shaped chocolates, you will need a mold which has small hearts.You can find these molds in most kitchen or  craft stores, made of tin, plastic or rubber.

Dark Chocolate Truffles

8 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate {cocoa mass}
¼ teaspoon 100% pure stevia extract powder if you are a dark chocolate lover.  But, if you like your chocolate a little sweeter, add a pinch more stevia and/or a tablespoon more agave nectar.  {100% pure stevia extract powder is different from stevia.  It contains no lactose and is more concentrated and thus much more intense.}

6 tablespoons agave nectar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons whole coconut milk

½ cup chopped, toasted almonds, optional

½ cup finely ground, toasted almonds, optional

or 

3-4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, optional

In a double boiler or in a medium pan over boiling water, melt the chocolate.

Remove from heat.

Moving quickly, stir in the stevia, agave nectar, vanilla and coconut milk.

Mix in the ½ cup chopped almonds, if desired. 

Next, using hands, squeeze a small amount of the chocolate mixture to make it compact.

Form balls of desired size {usually about 1½ inch big} by rolling the chocolate in your hands.

If using the ground almonds or powdered chocolate, roll each truffle in one or the other.

Place each truffle on a tray or wax paper-lined baking sheet.

Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until hardened and enjoy!

Like to see more Delightfully Free? Check out Delightfully Free.com

~Tracy

About Delightfully Free: Delightfully Free is a gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free cookbook of 141 recipes. It includes delicious resources for autism, Celiac disease, diabetes, lactose intolerance, obesity and just plain healthy living. It contains 114 color photographs, 114 vegetarian or vegetarian compatible recipes, and 103 vegan or vegan compatible recipes.

 

Metamorphosis Monday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Whole Foods, Encourage One Another
Recipe Round Up, Wise Women

Taste Testers: Chicken Enchilada Casserole

In anticipation of my new cookbook, Delightfully Free, I thought I'd share some of the feedback that I'm getting. I'm going to call these little previews "Taste Testers" and I'm hoping that they'll provide a showcase for the reactions that I'm getting from all sorts of people when they make the recipes found in my cookbook.
So to kick it off, I just got this email last night from my wonderful friend Connie who doesn't usually eat GF or DF:


"Hi Tracy....I have to admit, I was a little skeptical! Haha! Wow I was completely surprised at how incredible it was! The directions and amounts were perfect. It wasn't any more time-consuming or difficult to make than regular enchiladas. The servings were enough to feed 3 people for dinner twice and lunch for 2, plus a little extra left over. The sauce is what really makes the dish. It tastes just like a mole sauce and the flavor is intense and robust. I could just drink it straight! (I'm a sauce person!) All in all, it is a wonderful casserole. The texture is just perfect and it was excellent even the second day. Also, I never missed the cheese and that's saying a lot, because I'm a cheese lover. I will absolutely make this one of my go-to recipes. Ted really loved it too and was happy to have it for his lunch today! I would be very happy to try any other recipes you may have!"


Thanks Connie! I'm so thrilled that it was a success for you guys :)


Like to see more Delightfully Free? Check out Delightfully Free.com

~Tracy

About Delightfully Free: Delightfully Free is a gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free cookbook of 141 recipes. It includes delicious resources for autism, Celiac disease, diabetes, lactose intolerance, obesity and just plain healthy living. It contains 114 color photographs, 114 vegetarian or vegetarian compatible recipes, and 103 vegan or vegan compatible recipes.

Where Does Your Sugar Come From?

Sugar is our ENEMY. And it's waging war on our collective health.  We all know that sugar is one of the culprits behind obesity, which then increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and a whole slew of other serious problems.  But a lot of the time, the problem is simply that we don't recognize the massive amounts of sugar hidden in our meals.

Did you know, for example, that when we add ketchup to our plate, we are ingesting high-fructose corn syrup {generally the second ingredient} and more corn syrup {again, as the forth ingredient}, additives which cause nothing but trouble for the body {unless you're using organic ketchup of course}.  This usage of corn syrups is what's called "added sugar".  

Types of added sugars include fructose {linked to heart disease because it raises triglycerides and cholesterol and is completely devoid of any nutrition}, corn syrup {with a supper high glycemic index of 75, very little nutrition and therefore should be avoided}, high fructose corn syrup {with a glycemic index of 87, believed by many health advocates to be, along with refined sugar, the biggest contributor of health ailments} and glucose {AKA dextrose} which holds the infamous record for the high glycemic rating of 100! But you knew all of that, right?  

Believe it or not, the average American throws down 350-475 calories of added sugars a day! And that's in addition to the other sugars that they are consuming. But we're not your average Americans, are we?  No, No. We know the secrets of stevia, agave nectar, coconut sugar and some other cool and tricky natural sweeteners who do not impose these menacing threats to our health. Best of all, they turn cleverly crafted baked goods and confections into amazingly delicious and surprisingly nutritious treats!  

It's all in knowing what to use and how to use it  :) So, think about it today, where is your sugar coming from?

Bad news: http://www.cspinet.org/reports/sugar/addedsugar.html

Good news: http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com/blog/healthy-sugar-alternatives.php

Like to see more Delightfully Free? Check out Delightfully Free.com

Traditional Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday

Valentine's Treats? No Problem

Valentines Day is coming!  Chocolate, chocolate and, did I mention, dark chocolate?!

Who doesn't want to eat chocolate on Valentine's Day?  And isn't it great that dark chocolate has been in the "Good Nutrition News" lately?  

Our friend, dark chocolate, is super high in heart-healthy nutrients and has been shown to lower inflammation of the arteries and even reduce blood pressure.  So why not indulge a little on Valentine's Day?  {I am, but we'll keep it reasonable!}  

While we're at it, did you know that if you eat almonds with your chocolate they will keep your blood sugar from spiking as dramatically as it normally would without the almonds?  Studies have shown that when you consume any type of sugar with a small amount of fat, the fat helps regulate your blood sugar, decreasing the immediate spike that would otherwise occur.  Almonds are a great source of healthy fat!

Rich in protein & fiber, almonds are also moderately anti-inflammatory. They are champions in Omegas, especially Omega-6, and these little guys are packed with vitamins and minerals.  Because of all this, they lower the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and LDL (bad) cholesterol. 

By reducing the blood sugar level they also lower the rate of weight gain.  And by the way, they are completely delicious with chocolate.  Now what's not to like about that? So that's exactly why I am going to my kitchen next to come up with a new dark chocolate and almonds Valentine's Day treat!

I'll keep you posted  :)


Like to see more Delightfully Free? Check out Delightfully Free.com