Meatless Monday: Grain-Free Apple-Pomegranate Breakfast Crumble

May 20, 2013 by · 7 Comments

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The writing of cookbook #2 is well underway. Well, not so much the writing, per se, but the recipe development.

As someone who is fortunate enough to not have to follow a gluten-free diet, I do not eat a strict gluten-free diet. It just so happens that many recipes I make are naturally gluten-free or can be made gluten-free. However, as a dietitian, I should know more about gluten-free cooking and baking. Taking on this gluten-free/almond flour cookbook was a huge step outside my comfort zone. Huge. But I am always…always up for a good challenge.

My pantry is now full of everything from almond flour to tapioca starch to brown rice flour…and everything in between.

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Other than 1 or 2 epic failures, the process of developing gluten-free recipes has gone…way, WAY better than expected. Way better. To say I’ve been thrilled with the results would be an understatement.

Outside of actually learning about gluten-free cooking and baking, I’ve also been enjoying the new tastes, textures, and flavors of gluten-free flours, such as almond flour. Unlike other flours, nut flours are incredibly rich and surprisingly versatile. Also, they’re packed with nutrition by way of heart healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

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This breakfast crumble has been on my must-make list for ages. Apples, nor pomegranates, are in season, but I was still drawn to making this recipe for breakfast over the weekend. I love the tart crunch both fruits have to offer which are sweetened up with the honey, and made rich with the flavors of coconut oil and almond flour. The tapioca starch helps absorb excess moisture given off from the fruit.

A cup of coffee and a heaping scoop of breakfast crumble makes for another gluten-free recipe success and another weekend made a little sweeter with a delicious, nutritious breakfast…and leftovers for the week ahead :)

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Grain-Free Apple-Pomegranate Breakfast Crumble from Perry’s Plate

Filling:
3 apples, cored and diced
1 cup pomegranate arils
2 Tbsp honey
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp cinnamon

Crumble:
1 cup blanched almond flour *
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp equivalent stevia, or another dry sweetener, to taste
3 Tbsp melted coconut oil, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place apples and pomegranate arils in an 8-in x 8-in baking dish. Drizzle with honey and lemon juice; toss well. Sprinkle the tapioca starch and cinnamon over the top and toss to coat.

In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, walnuts, nutmeg, and stevia. Stir in the coconut oil and mix well to become a crumbly mixture. Spread the crumble evenly over the fruit. Bake crumble for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition Information (per serving): 456 calories; 29.0 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 13 mg. sodium; 46.3 g. carbohydrate; 7.3 g. fiber; 7.8 g. protein; 26.5 g. sugar

*Thank you to the kind people of Honeyville for producing a great blanched almond flour and their product donation to my cookbook project!

Result: Pomegranate arils are one of the most underused fruits and dishes like this make me thankful for finding new uses for them in cooking and baking. Granted, I could eat pomegranate on its own daily, but the arils adds a fun crunch and tart bite to this morning crumble. It’s hard to believe this is breakfast…not dessert, though it could be either :) Enjoy!

Hi ho, hi ho…off to work I go.

Be well,

sig4

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Filed Under: 450 calories or less, carb-controlled, fiber, fruits and vegetables, gluten-free, heart health, kid-friendly, recipe, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetarian ·

Meatless Monday: Healthy Cocoa-Date Truffles

May 13, 2013 by · 5 Comments

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I was talking to Mr. Prevention on my way home from Chicago yesterday. I was reciting my to-do list as he was recapping the fact that I currently have a lot of balls in the air with freelance writing, cookbook #2, a very demanding job, and of course, continuing to cook, photograph, and blog. I also must make time to continue ice hockey and running regularly, and the juggling act can be tiresome at times. It takes planning and organization – two things I do not naturally excel at.

Weekends away, as much as I enjoy them, don’t leave me with the time to recharge, re-energize, and prepare fully for the week ahead. My weekend with my mom and my family, it was the best, however.

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I pulled into the garage, threw in a load of laundry, and realized I was starving. I opened the fridge to find these Healthy Cocoa-Date Truffles that I has whipped together last week…and had not yet photographed. I snacked on a few of them while taking the photos and then made out my grocery list for the week…after struggling over what to make. I never even got the chance to look through the latest Cooking Light for ideas.

I decided on my Weekly Menu, adding a few veggie dishes that will be in my cookbook for dinner last night.

I grocery shopped in record time and for at least the 10th time in the past year, had a discussion with my checker about cilantro being an ingredient you either love or hate. Obviously, I love it…but I find the repetitiveness of this same conversation with various employees every time I buy cilantro to be truly perplexing. Anyways.

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I came home to finish up laundry, make dinner, and hear Mr. Prevention complain about how these truffles contained coconut while I shuffled around the kitchen in my usual haste of not-so-organized chaos. I tried deterring him with, “But they’re made of dates…you don’t like dates.” But he seemed to think he was missing out.

Which he was. But I won’t tell him that.

More for me!

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Healthy Cocoa-Date Truffles from Bon Appetit, as see on Alida’s Kitchen

8 oz pitted dates (approx 1 1/2 cups)
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbsp unsweetened flaked coconut
1 tsp espresso powder
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut, for rolling

Directions:

Put dates, cocoa, 3 tablespoons coconut and espresso powder in a food processor and puree until smooth. If mixture is too dry, add water by the teaspoonful.

Scoop mixture by the scant tablespoonful and form 1-inch balls. Roll balls in remaining coconut.

Chill/store in refrigerator in an air-tight container until ready to enjoy.

Yield: 20 truffles

Nutrition Information (per truffle): 46 calories; 1.15 g. fat; o mg. cholesterol; 10 mg. sodium; 9.5 g. carbohydrate; 1.4 g. fiber; 0.45 g. protein; 7.7 g. sugar

Result: These couldn’t be easier, or healthier, and yet, they come off as truly indulgent. Filled with (few) good-for-you calories, these are a handy thing to keep in your refrigerator for an on-the-go snack or quick dessert. Enjoy!

 Busy day, busy week…here we go!

Be well,

sig4

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Filed Under: 50 calories or less, carb-controlled, fiber, fruits and vegetables, gluten-free, guilt-free, kid-friendly, low-carb, recipe, reduced-calorie, snack, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetarian ·

Meatless Monday: Sweet Potato Fries

April 22, 2013 by · 21 Comments

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We won our final game. We were the “winners of the losers bracket” as we so lovingly said to one another yesterday around noon as we were staggering off the ice. Well, my teammates were staggering…I was limping. This case of “lace bite” has got me down and out. I was almost in tears, sitting on the bench, during the first period. But you know what? I didn’t go to Minnesota to ride the bench. I suffered through as much skating and hustling as I could…and I do mean suffered. Pain is weakness leaving the body, right Nicole?

We were graciously granted a late checkout at the hotel which allowed us enough time to shower and re-pack our sweaty gear and all other belongings into our over-sized hockey bags (lovely, I know). Judging by the stares from people in the airport, our hockey bags resembled more of a body bag — both the weight of the bag and the size. Good news is, I think this is commonplace in the land of 10,000 lakes where hockey is the sport of choice for most children and adults. Does Minnesota really have 10,000 lakes? I need to Google that…

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We treated ourselves to a “local fare” lunch after our game and shower. Supposedly, we needed to try a “Juicy Lucy” (a cheese-stuffed burger). We didn’t get around to that, but we did enjoy burgers at this great little pub called Bulldog in Minneapolis. The girls chose tater tots to accompany their burgers, but me? I’m just not a tater tot fanatic like most. (By the way, I think tater tots are wildly popular in Minneapolis – who knew?). I know *gasp*.

Nope, no tots for me. I much prefer fries for a splurge…sweet potato fries preferred. The problem with -baked- sweet potato fries, however, is the lack of crunch. Personally, the crunch is what I love about fries and achieving crunch without deep frying can be rather tricky and trickier yet with the sweet potato more than the traditional baker or russet.

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I scoured the internet for the tricks of the trade behind a perfectly crisp sweet potato fry recipe. I think I found one solid suggestion — the addition of cornstarch. When the heat from baking meets the natural sugars of the sweet potato, moisture is released making the crisp texture hard to achieve. Cornstarch, however, helps to absorb some of that moisture while the olive oil helps bake to a crisp and perhaps more importantly, bind the seasonings to the potato strips.

Crispy sweet potato fry lovers rejoice!

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Sweet Potato Fries loosely adapted from Cookie + Kate

2 sweet potatoes, cut into fries
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder
1/2 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly mist with olive oil cooking spray.

Toss the cut sweet potatoes with the cornstarch to coat evenly. Add olive oil and toss again. Add the seasonings and salt; toss well.

Bake the fries 10-15 minutes, remove and flip fries. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes and serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings (about 1 cup each)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 189 calories; 5.3 fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 342 mg. sodium; 33.0 g. carbohydrate; 5.5 g. fiber; 3.0 g. protein; 12.8 g. sugar

Result: The cornstarch on these help to keep them crispy. The key to sweet potato fries is to cut them thin — a mandoline is very helpful for this task. Be sure to flip the fries half way through baking and adjust your seasoning to suit your preference. Enjoy!

 No menu this week because I’m traveling. I’ll be in Cleveland speaking at the Cleveland Dietetic Association on Tuesday night…so excited, and honored! See you in OH…my old stomping grounds!

Be well,

sig4

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Filed Under: 200 calories or less, fiber, fruits and vegetables, gluten-free, guilt-free, kid-friendly, recipe, reduced-calorie, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetarian ·