Nutrient Rich Brownies

Gluten, Dairy & Cane Sugar-Free Brownies

As always, try to use organic and raw ingredients when possible.  This recipe uses low glycemic coconut palm sugar and raw cacao powder which are naturally nutrient rich.  Palm sugar contains magnesium, zinc, potassium, calcium and 16 vital amino acids.  Raw cacao powder contains magnesium, flavanols and polyphenols.  Pack it in where you can!

1 can of black beans, rinsed
3 eggs
1/2 C coconut oil
1/4 C cacao powder (raw, if you can find it)
1 TBS pure maple syrup
2 tsp ground vanilla
1 C coconut palm sugar (unrefined, if you can find it)
1/2 C crushed walnuts

*If you can tolerate some cane sugar you can also use 1/2 C chocolate chips that are dairy, soy & wheat free.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In food processor combine beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, ground vanilla and palm sugar until smooth.

Grease 8x8 pan and pour batter into pan.  Sprinkle with crushed walnuts (and chocolate chips - if using).

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.  Cool and chill before serving.

Photography & recipe by Nicole Hoines.

For a special treat why not hand cut and fry your own corn chips?

This is a favorite snack of my cousin's, Connie Huggett.  She likes dill in her guacamole for a fresh change.  No recipe needed, just mash up some avocados with olive oil, salt, and a little dill.  Quarter some all corn tortillas and lightly fry in oil.

Avocados are nutrient dense.  Containing many of the vitamins the body absolutely needs: vitamin K, folate, potassium, vitamin E, lutein, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin B6.  Increasing your vitamin uptake is the way to a healthy immune system.

Enjoy!

What's for dinner? Almond Chèvre Chicken

Everyone in my family loves this, even my 4 year old. Goat’s cheese provides calcium and potassium. Many people who cannot tolerate dairy products find they are able to enjoy goat’s cheese.

3 chicken breasts
3 TBS goat’s cream cheese, or chèvre
¼ C almond flour, or ground almond (use a mortar and pestal and raw almonds if you can’t buy this in a store)
3-6 basil or spinach leaves

Slice each breast sideways in the middle. Place on baking sheet. Stuff each breast with 1 TBS of cheese and a few basil or spinach leaves. Pat almond flour on top of each breast and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes.

Serves 2 adults and 2 kids. Great with steamed vegetables.

Avoiding peanuts but not all nuts?

On a stroll through the Ballard Market last weekend, I happended upon Marylin's Nut Butters. She has an amazing array of combinations. I went for the Pistachio Butter with Fennel because it fit within the constraints of our diet. We've been enjoying it on rice crackers, but she also provides serving suggestions. It really would be gorgeous on just about anything. I'm impressed.

It's also inspiring because it would be so simple to make any one of her combinations at home, with a food processor.

http://www.marilynsnutbutters.com

Free (of most things) "Sugar" Cookies

Drop Sugar Cookies
1 C Oat (or other flour)
1 C Brown Rice Flour
3/4 C Tapioca Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
8 TBS Palm Shortening (or butter)
1 ½ C palm Sugar
1 TBS ground flax seeds with 2 TBS hot water (let sit for 1-2 mins) (or 1 egg)
1 tsp Vanilla

Shape into balls and squash on to pan.
375 for 8-10 mins.

Sugar Cookies for Cutting
½ C Oat (sub any of these flours)
½ C Tapioca Flour
½ C Brown Rice Flour
½ C Millet Flour
½ C Amaranth Flour or Sorghum
1 tsp xanthum gum
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
8 TBS Palm Shortening (or butter)
½ C Palm Sugar
2 TBS flax mixed with 4 TBS hot water (or 2 eggs)
2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of nutmeg

Refrigerate dough for 24 hours. Roll, cut and bake at 375 for 10-15 mins.

Frosting
Mix palm shortening with Viv Agave (Organic Blue Agave Inulin available at Whole Foods) and a drop of vanilla. Makes a truly white frosting for coloring.

Nutrition in Schools

As I struggled to get a snack policy changed in my daughter's school - I found the odd complaints from some parents strange. Who would not want to provide better food environments for their kids? Perhaps there is confusion about the dangers of sugar. Not only will it make one fat and cause glucose levels to soar, but it also weakens our immunity to colds, flu and disease generally.

I don't think the message is being sent loudly enough from our responsible government agencies and doctors. So I was pleased to see an article in the New York Times this morning about New York's Education Department banning bake sales, and limiting unhealthy sugary snacks in their vending machines.

This was backed by a strong quote in the article from a significant leader at the CDC.
“There are more schools that are making more changes in what is available for kids at school,” said Howard Wechsler, the director of the division of adolescent and school health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who has studied nutrition policies at schools nationwide. “Schools are supposed to be a place where we establish a model environment, and the last thing kids need is an extra source of pointless calories.”

THANK YOU NEW YORK!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/nyregion/03bakesale.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=new%20policy%20bans&st=cse

Gluten-Free Pizza

Let's face it, it's a heck of a lot easier to find gluten-free restaurants than it used to be. However, it's often not safe enough for anyone who is Celiac.

Let's take pizza places for example, some do gluten-free pizza now, but still process wheat in the same kitchen. It's fine for us, and we love it, but I feel the distinction should be clarified. So far we've tried Romios and Pizza Works.

Romios is just off of 85th in Greenwood. They have very yummy gluten-free bread sticks that come with tomato sauce. The pizza is also very good. The waitstaff proved to be quite accommodating and were happy to check with the kitchen regarding ingredients. I was able to request no sauce, to avoid garlic. They don't do gf-child portions so my daughter had to order off the main menu - which was more than enough food.

Pizza Works is near Bastyr University in Juanita, and they do gluten-fee and yeast-free pizza. They have soy cheese, which worked for my daughter and they let me bring my own non-cheese for my son. I was able to get my pizza without sauce here as well. The staff are very cheerful and helpful. It is also worth mentioning that the kitchen has a dedicated gluten-free area.

Pizza Works get their crusts from Sunny Valley Wheat Free - which is a 100% dedicated facility in Maple Valley. Bob at Pizza Works also told me about Haley's Corner Bakery, which is 100% dedicated gluten-free bakery in Kent.

You can still have a pizza experience!