March | 2014 | My Foodie Call | Page 3

Monthly Archives: March 2014
- Make friends with…Medjool dates (and Cocoa Cookie Dough Balls)
  
  Posted at 8:00 pm by myfoodiecall
  
  Mar 6th
  
  There is a reason they are called nature’s candy. If you have a sweet tooth, make these your
  new BFF.
  
  What’s up with dates? Are they healthy? Isn’t there too much sugar?
  
  Yes, there is a decent amount of sugar, but don’t fear, it is naturally occuring. Nothing added. Worth noting: The high fiber content will help slow the bodies blood sugar response. Score.
  
  Speaking of naturally occuring sugars, same goes for bananas and carrots. I can’t stand when people are afraid of their high sugar content. Yes, bananas are high in fruit sugar, but let’s just stop it.
  
  Seriously. Let’s just stop.
  
  Bananas, Carrots and DATES are fruits and vegetables, not a can of Coke.
  
  Bakc to my Medjools. In addition to the fiber, they also have B Vitamins, Copper, and Potassium.
  
  Why Medjool Dates VS. other dates?
  
  Medjools, are the largest, sweetest, and softest of all dates. Because of these traits, they make a great addition to many desserts and raw foods’ recipes. I make many raw dessert balls, but the ones pictured below were one of the first dessert balls that I have ever made and still make time and time again.
  
  Here is a good recipe to get you started on your Medjool Date journey.
  
  From Dreena Burton’s Let Them Eat Vegan!
  
  My crew loves these.
  
  Cocoa Cookie Dough Balls
  
  Makes 18 to 20 dough balls
  
  Ingredients:
  1 cup raw almonds (see note for nut-free option)
  1 cup + 4 TBS rolled oats
  1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  2 cup pitted medjool dates
  1/2 cup raisins
  1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  4 TBS dark chocolate chips
  
  In a food processor, process the almonds until fine and crumbly. Then add remaining ingredients (except the optional chocolate chips) and process. Once the mixture starts to become crumbly, process fully for a minute or two. It will appear as if nothing is happening at first, that the mixture is just whirring around in crumbs, but soon it will start to become sticky. When you see it start to become a little sticky, add the chocolate chips and process again. Continue to process until it forms a ball on the blade. Stop the machine and remove the dough.
  
  Take small coops of the dough (1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons in size) and roll in your hand. Repeat until you have rolled all of the dough.
  
  I usually keep some in the fridge and some in the freezer, but they do not last too long in either. :/.
  
  Posted in Desserts, Make friends with..., Snacks | Tagged almonds, dates, oats
- Thoughts on Granola… (and an Almond Chia Granola recipe)
  
  Posted at 8:00 pm by myfoodiecall
  
  Mar 4th
  Granola done light.
  
  Recently I was asked if I had a good granola recipe to use as a yogurt topper. Hmm, this takes some thought. For myself, this can sort of turn into a lengthy conversation because honestly??
  
  I am not the biggest advocate for granola.
  
  I used to make granola all of the time, but now kind of steer clear of it. Why?
  
  Gobs of sugar.
  
  While there are plenty of low-fat options out there, most of these have too much sugar and hardly make the benefits of granola worth it. Why do people feel like granola is healthy? Well, look at the nickname that earthy-type eaters are given: “Granola”.
  
  “Oh, she’s so Granola….”
  
  This nickname implies to a person that lives off the land, wears Birkenstocks and is the picture of health, right?
  
  But in reality, granola is just not that good for you. Too much sugar. The health benes from granola are really in the oats and nuts, so why not just eat those? It is in fact these same oats and nuts that provide the fiber that consumers are searching for.
  
  Fiber= good. Loads of sugar=bad.
  
  Again, not worth it.
  
  It is for this reason that I tend to lean towards straight up “cereal” as a topping for yogurts. For example, good old-fashioned Cheerios, has 3 grams fiber and only 1 gram of sugar for a whole cup (and 100 calories). Yes, Cheerios can be a tad boring,but still, you get a whole cup of it.
  
  If you do want to go the granola route, this is what I sometimes will buy.
  
  Yes it is low in sugar, but here is the deal.
  
  4 grams of sugar, 120 calories for ONLY 1/4 cup.
  
  Translation. BARELY ANY. So it is up to you which you would prefer. 8 oz of Cheerios (1 gram sugar) on top of your yogurt or 2 oz of Bare Naked Granola (4 grams sugar).
  
  For me? I am all about quantity. I’d rather eat more.
  
  This granola question did get me motivated to make granola again. I did sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, and CHIA (of course). And I think it turned out pretty good, if you want to give it a shot too.
  
  Check it out.
  
  Here is my dry ingredients.
  
  And the wet.
  
  Mix the two.
  
  Spread on a prepared baking sheet. Bake. Make your house smell crazy good.
  
  Top it. A low-sugar granola.
  
  Low-Sugar Almond Chia Granola
  - 3 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
  - 1 cups of sliced almonds
  - 1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds (optional: food processor them for less crunch)
  - 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
  - 2 Tablespoons of cinnamon
  - 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  - 1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla
  - 3/4 cups of no-sugar-added applesauce
  - 2 tablespoons honey
  Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
  2. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
  4. Add wet ingredients to the dry and blend.
  5. Add a teaspoon or two of coconut oil if it seems a bit too dry.
  6. Spread the granola on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
  7. Bake the granola in the oven for 45 minutes, mixing up the granola blend every ten minutes.
  8. Taking baking sheet out, lower heat to 200.
  9. Drizzle 1 tablespoon honey over the top and stir.
  10. Bake for another 25 minutes, stirring midway.
  11. When you’re done, let the granola cool before storing.
  12. You could add raisins or cranberries to the mixture when cooled, but if you are truly trying to follow a low-sugar diet, you should skip it because it is good stuff that way it is!
  Granola done light.
  Posted in Breakfast, Desserts, Random stuff, Snacks | Tagged almonds, chia, oats, sunflower seeds
- Whole Wheat Baked Veggie Pasta
  
  Posted at 8:00 pm by myfoodiecall
  
  Mar 2nd
  Cheesy, baked whole wheat pasta and has 4 different veggies.
  
  Is pasta your go-to meal when you are in a time crunch? Yah, me too. Try this one to amp up the veggies in your diet.
  
  Check it out.
  
  Cook your pasta.
  
  Crushed tomatoes. Veggie #1.
  
  An entire can of pumpkin. Veggie #2.
  
  Peas and Carrots. Holy Moly. Veggie #’s 3 and 4.
  
  Big dose of cheese.
  
  Stir it.
  
  Spread it.
  
  Top it.
  
  Plate it.
  
  Whole Wheat Vegetable Baked Pasta
  
  Ingredients
  1 lb small whole wheat penne (or other shape, doesn’t matter…)
  
  1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes (I used the crushed tomatoes with basil)
  
  1-16 oz bag frozen peas and carrots blend
  
  1-15 oz can of pumpkin
  
  2 cups shredded mozzarella (try to get low-sodium if possible)
  
  4 tsp dry parsley
  
  1 Tbs dry oregano
  
  1/2 tsp pepper
  
  1 tsp sea salt
  
  Directions
  1) Preheat oven to 350°F.
  
  2) Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a bowl.
  
  3) Gently stir in tomatoes, vegetables, pumpkin, 1 cup cheese, and seasonings.
  
  4) Spoon it all into a prepared 9×13″ baking dish.
  
  5) Sprinkle the last amount of cheese over the top of the pasta.
  
  6) Bake until cheese is melted on top, about 35-45 minutes.
  
  7) Let pasta set for 5-10 minutes.
  Posted in Meatless mealtime | Tagged pumpkin, whole wheat pasta
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