Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free » Fruit Dishes

Raspberries & Cream Parfait

Amy — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:31:36 +0000

I’m always looking for healthier alternatives to dessert, especially since I’m pregnant. Some days I can’t get enough food. It can be easy to reach for something quick (and not so healthy) so I’ve made a big effort to have healthier choices on hand.

Pregnancy is funny that way. Out of no where, I am overcome by a sensation of “I must eat now.” And when it happens, I suggest that no one get in the way of me and the refrigerator.

The kind of food that satisfies me is different, too. I need carbs and a whole lot more healthy fat. I find myself snacking on cereal, bread and cheese, avocados, and peanut butter. It’s not my normal diet.

I wish I could say that I’ve become the guru of pregnancy diets, that I’ve mastered how to eat a healthy and balanced diet while a little life is growing inside of me. That’s not the case. My cravings change from week to week. For several weeks I couldn’t eat enough black grapes. I ate 15 pounds. And loved every last one. Now I’m on a grapefruit and avocado kick. I bought 20 grapefruits a couple of weeks ago. They’re almost gone.
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Berries ‘n Cream Parfait with Homemade Coconut Yogurt from Healthful Pursuit

Amy — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:30:28 +0000

Hi everyone! My name is Leanne from Healthful Pursuit and I am beyond excited to be here with you today.

As you know, Amy is one talented, inspirational, and creative woman. When I first came across Simply Sugar & Gluten Free I was on a quest for sugar-free inspiration, and Amy’s recipes did not disappoint. Have you tried her yeasted buckwheat pancakes? I die every time.

After becoming a holistic nutritionist in 2008, I started improving my personal health by creating recipes to support healing and balance throughout my life. Soon my friends and family were begging me to document my gluten-free kitchen creations so they could make them too. So, after months of planning, I began Healthful Pursuit. My goal was simple, to connect and learn from people, share my story, insight, and possibly inspire those looking to make healthful changes in their lives.

A couple of months into blogging, I realized I was sensitive to sugars, in addition to my corn, dairy and gluten sensitivities. At first I panicked – how is one supposed to share indulgent recipes when they can’t eat sugar? Thankfully, blogs like Amy’s helped me find my way through the sugar-free realm. It wasn’t long until I was replacing sugar with medjool dates, unpasteurized honey, coconut sugar, fruits, and stevia (stevia is a scary one, but if done right, it can taste amazing).

My personal road to health has taught me about the importance of high quality ingredients, how to listen to our bodies to optimize our health, and best of all, how to have fun in the kitchen. And believe you me, I’ve had my fair share of kitchen fun, specifically when I made my own dairy-free, sugar-free yogurt parfaits.

By making your own yogurt you can:

Save money
Use any kind of milk you want – hemp, cashew, almond, oat, sesame…
Add massive doses of probiotics
Make all sorts of unique flavors – lavender, honey, chocolate hemp, rose, apple cinnamon, pumpkin spice, or carrot cake!
Be proud of yourself for making something that your body will thank you for!

These Berries n’ Cream Parfaits with Homemade Coconut Yogurt are bursting with flavor, fiber, and nutrients. Best of all, they don’t require a yogurt maker. Just a cooler, a couple of jars, and you’re set. There is a secret ingredient in the yogurt… think you can guess what it is?

… chia seeds!

Berries ‘n Cream Parfait

Yield: 2 parfaits

This recipe was provided by Leanne from Healthful Pursuit.

Ingredients

For Yogurt layer

2 cups homemade coconut yogurt [recipe below]
Raspberry sauce
1 cup raspberries, puréed
2 tsp arrowroot powder, diluted in 2 Tbsp water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp lemon juice

For Granola layer:

1 cup willy vanilly protein granola or a gluten-free granola of your choice
Strawberry topping
2 cups strawberries, diced
1 tbsp apple juice
2 tsp coconut sugar
Zest of 1 lime
Juice from 1 lime
1 tsp mint, chopped [optional]
2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

To make the strawberry topping:

Mix the apple juice, coconut sugar, lime zest, and lime juice in a medium sized bowl. Add the strawberries and place the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes.

To make the raspberry sauce:

Dilute arrowroot powder with cool water. Set aside. Heat the raspberry purée and lemon juice in a small pot on medium heat, whisking for 2-3 minutes. Add the arrowroot mixture to the raspberry mixture and continue to whisk until boiled. It should get thicker over 2-5 minutes. Once you’ve reached the desired thickness, allow to cool before dividing between two glasses.

Bringing it all together:

Raspberry sauce should already be at the bottom of your two glasses. Top with yogurt, then granola, strawberries. Repeat once more and top with mint leaves and shredded coconut.

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/berries-n-cream-parfait/

Homemade Coconut Yogurt

This recipe was provided by Leanne from Healthful Pursuit.

Ingredients

800mL (a generous 3 1/4 cups) reduced fat coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut butter
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
pinch white powdered stevia – if you don’t like stevia, use 1-2 tbsp coconut/palm sugar or honey
2 tbsp freshly ground chia seed *see note
8 servings of non-dairy probiotics – I used this acidophilus
Medium sized cooler + boiling water OR 1 towel + heating pad

Instructions

Place coconut milk, coconut butter, vanilla, and stevia in a blender. Turn on high for 8 minutes. (This should heat your yogurt to the desired temperature. If you have a weak blender, transfer to a saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 4 minutes before bringing back to the blender to add your chia seed.)
Continue to blend while adding chia seed. Blend until mixed before turning blender off and removing lid.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Add probiotics, return lid and pulse.

If doing the cooler version:

Place boiling water in cooler to the 3 inch mark. Once the yogurt has cooled, pour into 2 – 1000mL (1 quart) mason jars and place in the cooler for about 15 hours. You may have to change your water halfway through to ensure it’s hot enough. Refrigerate for 8 hours.

If doing the heating pad version:

Once the yogurt has cooled, pour into 2 – 1000mL (1 quart) mason jars and wrap in a heating pad [set on lowest setting] and a towel. Allow to sit for 15 hours. Refrigerate for 8 hours.

Notes

The chia seed is what thickens the yogurt. If you make this yogurt with other nut milks, more chia seed may be needed. For example: almond milk yogurt will need a total of 4-6 tbsp ground chia seed. I found that anything past 4 tbsp of chia begins to taste very chia-like. Another alternative to chia would be agar agar flakes but I would start with a small amount of 1-2 tsp until desired consistency is met.

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/berries-n-cream-parfait/

What other fun do I have in my kitchen?

Well, there are my favorite breakfast cakes, otherwise known as 5 minute Quinoa Flake Bakes. All of the flavors I’ve made were good, but Double Chocolate Crunch was definitely my favorite. These cakes are quick to put together, sugar-free, filling, and delicious. Would you believe me if I told you there was avocado hidden in there?

Another was a recipe I created for my birthday not too long ago. These Maple Oat n’ Apple Jars were the perfect gift of nut buttery, oatmeal, sticky goodness.

This Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream “Cheese” Icing is a regular at our house. I like to eat it a couple of hours before my weekly long run. I kid you not when I say I run quicker with this in my tummy!

Lastly, I couldn’t go without sharing one of my sleepy smoothie recipes. All measuring and preparation is done the night before you enjoy this delectable breakfast. All you have to do is wake up, throw in the blender and enjoy. My favorite? Sleepy Cookie Dough Strawberry Cheesecake.

Although sweet treats are my favorite, I promise you I make tons of balanced recipes too. After all, healthful living is all about balance!

Thanks, Amy for inviting me to guest post today. I hope you all had just as much fun as I did! Please feel free to visit by my blog, Healthful Pursuit, to say hi, or connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, or StumbleUpon.

Simple Berry Salad

Amy — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:34:48 +0000

On Wednesday, I asked a my friends on Facebook what their favorite summer food was and the response was overwhelmingly about produce. We love our summer fruits and veggies any way we can get them.

And, gosh, do we love berries!

One of my goals is to eat more seasonally. I committed to not buy berries all winter long. We ate apples, bananas, grapefruit, clementines, and oranges. (I know bananas weren’t in season but as far as I know, they’re not even grown anywhere that’s remotely local.)

When the ripe, seasonal berries showed up I was thrilled. Joe was too. I made a big berry salad and we eat it with everything – yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, on hot cereal.

A Special Ingredient

I’ve been making this simple salad for years. It never occurred to me that it was anything ‘special’ until I got a phone call after a get-together with friends. My girlfriend said her husband insisted that she find out what I did to make the berries taste so good. I told her, but I don’t think she believed me until she made this salad herself. A little lime makes all the difference.

I sent Joe off to work with some of this berry salad in his lunch. He asked me to pack more the next day and I had to confess that I ate the rest of it for breakfast and lunch. Like I said, we love our berries.

Other SS&GF Berry Recipes:

What is your favorite way to eat fresh berries?

And, by the way…we’ve been having a great time chatting on Twitter and Facebook. Next time you’re on make sure to say hello.

Simple Berry Salad

Ingredients

sweet, ripe strawberries
fresh sweet-tart blueberries
perfectly ripe, juicy raspberries
juice from 1/2 lime
powdered stevia to taste

Instructions

Wash berries and drain. Hull and quarter strawberries. Slice them if they’re really large.
Place berries in a beautiful bowl and squeeze the juice from 1/2 lime on top. Sweeten to taste with stevia. Gently toss berries.
Cover and place in refrigerator to chill for at least two hours. Overnight is just fine.
Serve as is, with sweet whipped cream or coconut cream, on ice cream, in yogurt…the possibilities are endless.

Notes

I usually make a good sized bowl – a quart or more at once. Adjust the lime juice based on the amount of berries you use.

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/simple-berry-salad/

5 Minute Blueberry Banana “Ice Cream”

Amy — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:00:43 +0000

Our kitchen is still torn apart – the tile guys are supposed to be here tomorrow and work on Sunday, too. That’s fine with me – the sooner it’s done the sooner my life gets back to normal. So, I’ve been doing lots of modified, simple cooking because it takes so long to find my pots and pans.

This super fast “ice cream” has been a stand-in snacks lately. It’s one of my favorites – it requires no cooking and i’s naturally sugar-free and gluten-free. The rich, creamy texture makes you think you’re eating something that’s so bad for you but it’s not. It’s a great way to use up those ripe bananas, too.

When my bananas start to get over-ripe, I peel them, cut them in half, score them without cutting all of the way through (this makes them easier to break into small pieces when I need it later), wrap them in plastic wrap, and put them in the freezer.

I’m posting my favorite variation, but you can substitute any frozen fruit for the blueberries. Mixing the banana with the other fruits keeps the texture smooth. Also, the banana is sweet enough to eliminate the need for additional sweeteners. I use cottage cheese to add some protein and give this a texture much closer to real ice cream and the nuts for a little fat. You can use yogurt but will end up with a runnier texture. Bananas without a fat or a protein send me reeling.

If you want to try a dairy free, pure banana version visit Kim at Gluten-Free is Life for her Banana Ice Cream. She’s right about holding on to the food processor…it’ll jump around on you at first.

And, if you have a minute stop by The Gluten-Free Post and see my review of Kozy’s Kitchen – a gluten-free restaurant in Dallas.

Find more food inspiration at:

Food on Friday at Ann Kroeker’s
Amy’s Finer Things Friday
Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

5 Minute Blueberry Banana “Ice Cream”

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

1/2 banana, frozen and chopped into ½ inch slices
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese
1 tablespoon of your favorite chopped nuts

Instructions

Put the banana and blueberries in a small food processor or blender. Process until it’s in small chunks.
Add the cottage cheese and process until smooth, scraping sides down as necessary.
Put your “ice cream” in a bowl and top with chopped nuts. If desired, return to freezer for 5 minutes or so before eating.

Notes

This tastes the best when made with very ripe, frozen bananas. Under-ripe bananas taste starchy.

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/healthy-blueberry-banana-ice-cream/

Cheese Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce

Amy — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:00:37 +0000

What’s a blintz? It’s a delicious breakfast dish that involves filling a thin pancake, or a crepe, with a cheese mixture and then cooking it again. Actually, you can fill a crepe with many different things – potatoes, apples, raisins, veggies, meats.

This recipe is extra special because it adds depth of flavor with lemon and orange. The end result is a light pancake and filling with a bright, citrus-blueberry finish.

During my catering days, I used to make these by the hundreds and we’d bake them off right before the event. It was then that I learned that crepes aren’t just for the culinary elite. They’re actually very simple if you understand a few simple techniques:

The batter needs to be very cold when it goes into the pan so it can spread out before it sets.
Take the pan off of the heat when you brush it with butter and add your batter. Once the batter has covered the bottom
The first crepe is usually a throw away used to gauge the temperature of the pan.
When you cook the outside of the blintz, the pan needs to be hot enough to set the filling so it doesn’t run.

I like to eat something healthy to get my day started. I am not a fan of sweet rolls or muffins as a daily breakfast dish. These crepes are made with a very small amount of gluten-free flour, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, milk, eggs, and fruit. Overall, it’s a healthy balance of carbs, protein, and fat that won’t make you crash later on. Also, they’re suprisingly filling and delicious the next day.

I showed Joe some picutres of the last batch of blintzes I made and asked him which one he liked best. He said that none of them turned out very well and I needed to re-take them. I knew I was getting manipulated into making another batch but I didn’t tell him that. I love that he loves my cooking, and even more, I love cooking for him.

Cheese Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce

Yield: Makes 12 blintzes

Ingredients

For crepes:

2 large eggs
2/3 cup 1% milk
½ cup All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (for batter mix)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (to cook blintzes)

For filling:

1 cup 2% cottage cheese
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
pinch of salt

For Blueberry Sauce:

2 cup blueberries
½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (1 – 2 oranges)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

Instructions

For the crepe batter:

Put eggs, milk, gluten-free flour mix, salt, and melted butter in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

For the filling:

While batter is chilling, make the filling by putting the ricotta and cottage cheese in a food processor or blender and process until completely smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
Add egg, agave, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Process again until smooth.

Once the batter has chilled:

Heat a small, 8 inch non-stick skillet over medium high heat. (The skillet needs to be hot enough to quickly cook and brown blintz but not so hot that you can’t get the blintz batter evenly spread over bottom of skillet before it sets.)
Remove pan from heat and brush with melted butter. Hold pan at a downward 45 degree angle. Put 1/8 cup of batter into skillet and quickly rotate skillet so that batter covers the bottom completely. Return to heat and cook blintz until it’s lightly browned. Loosen edges with a spatula and move to waxed paper, browned side up. Cook remaining blintzes in this manner.
When all blintzes are cooked, put 2 - 3 tablespoons of filling on the inside of each blintz. Fold them closed, top to bottom leaving the sides open.
Heat a medium sized skillet over medium-high and brush with butter. Cook blintzes seam side down for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown. Again, the skillet needs to be hot enough to quickly cook the blintz and set the filling. If the skillet isn’t hot enough the filling will run.

For the blueberry sauce:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, and simmer over medium-low heat until a few berries begin to burst.
Mix cornstarch and cold water, add to saucepan while stirring. Stir, simmering until sauce has thickened and cornstarch taste is gone, about 5 minutes.
Spoon blueberry sauce over cooked blintzes.

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/cheese-blintzes-with-blueberry-sauce/

Stop by Hey, that tastes good! for Jill’s version of perfect blintzes and cherries. Also, visit these blog carnivals for more great food:

Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
What Can I Eat That’s Gluten-Free? at Gluten-Free Homemaker