PISTACHIO /LIME Truffles

December 10, 2021December 30, 202110 Comments

“Great Balls of Fire” 🔥 (Vegan, Paleo) – No Added Sugar

We all need an energy boost ♨️ Especially during the festive season. 🎄 ☃️ During the holidays, you will find me rolling and coating my favorite truffles for a healthy burst of energy! Great holiday gifts! 🎁

RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
2 cups pistachios
I cup pitted dates (Medjool dates)
A pinch of pink or sea salt
4 Organic Limes, zest and juice of each lime.
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix 1 1/2 cups of the pistachios, salt and the dates in food processor until it becomes a ball. About 3 minutes.
2. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pistachios for the coating.
3. While this is mixing, zest the limes and then juice them.
4. Chop or grind the remaining 1/2 cup pistachios into tiny bits to be used for coating.
5. Break up the pistachio-date ball and add zest and juice of all key limes. Process until well combined.
6. Shape pistachio/date mixture into 18 bite size balls and then roll in chopped pistachio.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month; ready for your guests and visitors. Store longer in your freezer.

VARIATIONS

Dip 1/2 of the pistachio treat in sugar free ganache. (vegan dark chocolate)
Substitute with different nuts and tangerines (instead of limes).
Add a cherry, dried apricot, dried cranberries or anything you like inside your truffle.

MY LINKS:

Chocolate Chili Truffles for a hot, spicy holiday! Mo’Better –> Three more! My personal truffle recipes

You can add anything you like to your Holiday Truffles. Add chia seeds, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, figs or chili powder. Apricots will brighten up your festive season! Add your favorite blends. Mix and match!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!🎄

Bread Pudding Soufflé

July 13, 2020August 16, 202016 Comments

Bread pudding has been around since the 11th century. The first time I had Bread Pudding Soufflé was at the famous Commanders Palace in New Orleans.

During the sequestered days, people were busy baking bread; myself included. When I found a loaf of bread hiding in the bar frig, bread pudding came to mind. Re-purpose stale egg bread like brioche, challah or Finnish pulla, Italian, French or sour dough bread work well. I would file this under COMFORT FOOD!

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INGREDIENTS
Unsalted butter, for pan and ramekins
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
3 large free range whole eggs
1 cup whole milk ( 3% – 15% )
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. of salt
5 cups day-old white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
Meringue: 6-9 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar
Whiskey – Custard Sauce, (recipe below)

INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1 Bread Pudding
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan; set aside. Combine 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Beat in whole eggs until smooth; whisk in milk and vanilla extract. Add bread cubes; stir, allowing bread to soak in well. Add more milk if needed. Bake for 25-30 minutes until pudding is golden and firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. It should be moist, not runny or dry. Cool to room temperature.
You now have made “bread pudding.”
You can stop here and not make the meringue for the soufflé portion. I suggest you still making the custard sauce. The sauce makes the bread pudding.
STEP 2 Meringue
Butter six 6-ounce ceramic ramekins; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk 6-9 egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Slowly add 1/4 cup sugar. Continue whisking until shiny and thick. If whites stand up, like shaving cream, the meringue is ready. Watch this video for tips.

STEP 3 Meringue and Sauce
In a large bowl, separate out the bread pudding into chunks. Gently fold in a quarter of the meringue, being careful not to lose the air in the whites. Divide this mixture among the ramekins. Top the rest of the meringue on each ramekin, piling it as high as you can. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
TOPPING: Cut a slit on top of each soufflé and pour the custard sauce into each individual ramekin. Serve immediately.

WHISKEY CUSTARD SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cups (600 ml.) whole milk
4 large free-range egg yolks
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 vanilla pod ( or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract )
1/4 cup bourbon -whiskey (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Pour milk and vanilla extract into a pot and bring just to the boil.
2. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and flour until pale.
Gradually add the warm milk to the egg mixture. Whisk well to prevent clumping.
Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook gently on a low heat for about 20 minutes -or- until thick. Add the whiskey. Adjust to taste. Whisk continuously.
Taste to make sure the sauce is sufficiently sweet. Pour into the center opening of each soufflé.

Bread Pudding Soufflé Scored in the middle for the sauce to blend well.

Whiskey Sauce poured over the Bread Pudding Soufflé

VARIATIONS

When I attended the Cookin Cajun Cooking School at Riverwalk in New Orleans, the chef said, “You could add anything to your bread pudding soufflé : raisins, currents, even smarties.”

Get creative with this recipe. Use up ingredients hiding in your cupboards and in your frig.

Kids love smarties. They can help out in doctoring up their own ramekin, before going in the oven.

TIP: If you don’t have enough stale bread, combine fruit or almonds with the cubed bread, before the final bake. Maybe add some cheese. Sweet or savory, it’s great for breakfast or dessert.

How about eggnog ‘bread pudding‘ soufflé? Sounds delicious for the holidays!

BREAD – the Staff of Life. Along with your carbs you will get micro nutrients including thiamin, selenium, and folate from bread.

We really wanted to bring you a trending dessert that is gaining popularity. The cinnamon and nutmeg is fantastic! I serve this warm dessert with whiskey custard along with a shot of whiskey on the side.

Memories of New Orleans! Bread Pudding Soufflé is still the number one asked for dessert at The Commander’s Palace.

How it was added to their menu? Commander’s Palace had so many egg whites left over from their Hollandaise Sauce that it gave birth to their famous “Bread Pudding Soufflé“. Simply Splendid had the solution to the egg yolks by making a custard sauce topping.

Comander’s Palace, New Orleans, Home of Bread Pudding Souffle

KID FRIENDLY with plain custard! A great snack. Keeps well in the frig for 2-3 days.

Almond Cookies -Keto Friendly

October 27, 2019November 16, 201923 Comments

SIMPLY SWEET
This almond cookie is an explosion of flavour, yet shockingly simple to make. Gluten free. Keto – friendly and does not spike your blood glucose levels. This is my all time favourite ‘cookie’. You may be hooked like I was, with your very first bite. The vanilla extract makes these gems extra good!

Bernini says. “I’ll give you a hand ( a paw that is)”…

INGREDIENTS
2-3 Egg whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup of sweetener ( Monk fruit )
3 cups of sliced blanched almonds
a pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F
Mix egg whites with a fork. Add sweetener, salt and vanilla. Mix again. Toss in almonds and mix. (check your egg white consistency here)
Spoon and flatten cookie mixture on a silicone sheet or parchment or on a cookie sheet.
Bake 20 minute – to a media brown colour
If bottom still soft and sticky ..turn over bottom side up and put back in the oven
Turn off oven ..let cookies sit 5-10 minutes to dry out.

VARIATIONS
Dip cookie in dark or light chocolate after baking. Flip chocolate side up. Let cool (see below).

Chocolate Lovers

TIP!
Egg whites vary in size. Make sure you have enough ‘egg white’ to have a thick consistency when blending – well coated ( sort of gooey). If it looks dry, you may have to add another egg white . Beat the ‘additional’ egg white separately before you add it to your cookie mix. Err on more egg white. Crumble the cookie on yogurt, hot, morning oatmeal, ice cream, salad or cooked green beans. There are more ideas as you might guess. The ingredients are healthy and you can dress up any meal with healthy almonds.

DID YOU KNOW?
Almonds are not a true nut. It is a seed or pit similar to a peach or olives. My uncle, who reached his 100th birthday, would enjoy six almonds daily for good health. Did you know Bill Gates’ frequently snacks on ‘nuts’. I’m sure the almond squeaked its way in the mix. Monk fruit is the trending sugar substitute, some say no aftertaste. There are various Monk fruits to buy with varying sweetness. Investigate them before using in a recipe. Monk fruit toots a higher sweetness level than sugar. Tasting is believing. Swerve is another emerging substitute for sugar you may want to try.

A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that consuming almonds increases vitamin E levels Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that defends your cells against damage on a daily basis and prevents artery-clogging oxidation and also lowers cholesterol levels. Almonds have a significant increase the amount of antioxidants in the bloodstream. Blood flow is improved along with reduced blood pressure.

Key Lime Pie made with Avocado

October 23, 2016March 15, 202026 Comments

KEY LIME PIE is another pie my friends remind me to make. Fresh key limes is the secret ingredient. Try and get the key limes instead of regular limes. It tastes just as good either way. The first time I had the Blonde Giraffe’s” key lime pie in Key West, Florida I was hooked. It was that good. Using a family recipe from their Brazilian grandmother, the Blonde Giraffe‘s pie shop flourished and delivered key lime pies all over the U.S. (No longer delivers (the pies) and the Blonde Giraffe has moved). They added key lime zest to the whipped egg white topping. Instead of their traditional evaporated milk, we will be using whipping cream + cream cheese. We will also be adding avocado to this health -TRENDING key lime pie!

Best Key Lime Pie!

BLONDE GIRAFFE – Home of the award winning KEY LIME PIE! When I came down to Florida, my sister would leave a Key Lime Pie in the freezer for us. What a treat! I would get up at night and wander into the kitchen for a treat and hack away at the key lime pie like a block of ice. It was just as good frozen! I guarantee it!
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INGREDIENTS
300 grams cream cheese
200 ml whipping cream for mixing with avocado
150 ml whipping cream
1 medium-large Avocado, cut into big cubes
1/4 cup sugar substitute – Stevia, organic coconut sugar, monk fruit, etc.
30 ml water
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Zest of 2 limes
1 sachet Gelatin Powder

Limes + Key Lime Concentrate + Key Limes

Limes + Key Lime Juice + Key Limes

Pie Crust:

1 cup shelled walnuts
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon crushed anise seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. DIRECTIONS: Heat oven to 350 Degrees Farenheit. (177 C.). In a food processor, pulse walnuts until finely ground. Add graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, anise seeds and salt; pulse just until combined. Add 2 tablespoons water; pulse until ingredients are thoroughly combined and resemble wet sand. Press into bottom of an 8 1/2-inch spring form pan. Bake 20 minutes; cool completely.
  
  The walnuts are a healthier option. The tiny amount of anise seeds give it an interesting flavour. An almond crust would also be a very healthy option.

Three-Ingredient Almond Crust

This easy-to-make crust contains just three ingredients and browns up beautifully. You might even like it better than traditional pie crust!

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups almond flour
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar substitute

Instructions (pie crust)

Melt the butter.
Combine the sugar and almond flour in a bowl.
Pour the butter into the almond mixture and stir until well combined.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently until all the almond flour is incorporated with the butter and the dough forms a moist ball in your hands.
Place the ball of almond flour dough on the bottom of the nine-inch spring form pan.
Use your fingers to press the dough evenly out the sides.

INSTRUCTIONS (FOR PIE)
1. Zest the lime first before extracting the juice. Set aside the lime zest and juice
2. Boil 150 ml of whipping cream in a small sauce pan and add it to the gelatin powder in a medium bowl, stir for 2 minutes until completely dissolved. strain through fine sieve. Cool it down.
3. Using a food processor combine avocado, cream cheese, sugar substitute, 200 ml. whipping cream, lime juice, zest and 30 ml of water until everything is smooth and well combined.. Pour in the cooled gelatin cream mixture and continue processing until well combined, cream and smooth in texture.
4. Pour avocado lime cheese cake into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. chill in the freezer for 1 hour to set.
5. Release the pie from the pan if using spring form pan. If using a mousse ring (which I used I this recipe) use a blow torch and run around the edge of the ring to loosen the mousse and remove the ring.
6. Garnish with lime slices and zest on top.
TOPPING
Whipping Cream (optional)

FOOD TIPS
You can substitute quark (even cottage cheese) for the cream cheese to have a lighter side. My aunt (German influence) always uses quark in baking her cheese cakes. For this recipe I was able to produce an 8 inch and one 4 inch pie. This recipe can fill a 10 inch pan too.

WHIPPING CREAM: People sometimes use half and half as a substitute (12% milk fat) for whipping cream. “Whipping cream” is made up of 30 percent fat, while cartons labeled “heavy cream” or “heavy whipping cream” must contain 36 percent milk fat. The fat gives stiffness to the cake or pie. That is why we added the gelatin -for stability. Evaporated milk contains 7.5% milk fat. Remember…the evaporated milk is still susceptible to microbiological spoilage even though the evaporated milk is packaged in cans and heat-sterilized. Tropical countries use evaporated milk a lot since refrigeration may be a problem in some areas.

15 minute ~Summer Pudding

August 2, 2016July 26, 201837 Comments

RED SKY AT NIGHT SAILORS DELIGHT!
Celebrate summer evenings with beautiful golden red sunsets enjoying abundant fresh fruit with my favorite SUMMER PUDDING!
When I saw red and black currants at the market, I was immediately inspired to make my favourite dessert. I am not a big fan of desserts in general. But, I love my summer pudding! You can use a combination of almost any berries that are available. There is so much fresh fruit this time of year. Our window of opportunity to make this healthy dessert is here now!
Imagine a dessert packed with super foods!

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RECIPE
3/4 cup Raspberries
3/4 cup red currents
3/4 cup blueberries
1 1/2 cups black currents (or red currents)
3/4 cups sweetener (i.e. zylitol, stevia)
1/4 cup of water
8 fairly thick slices of dense white bread, crusts removed
whipping cream (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Remove stems and wash fruit, add with sugar into a pan +plus 1/4 cup of water
2. Cover and cook gently for 5-7 minutes or until currents are tender
3. Drain off the juice and reserve 1/3 cup [ 75 ml.]
4. Line a 1 quart (1 liter pudding basin or Charlotte mold ) container with plastic wrap so that the pudding will be easily removed from the mold.
5. Place some of the bread slices, cutting the slices to fit into basin exactly
6. Spoon in the fruit and packing it in well
7. Pour in the reserved juice
8. Place the remaining bread on top of the fruit
9. Place a plate small enough to rest on the pudding itself
10. Place your heaviest weight or water in a plastic container on the plate
Leave the pudding overnight in the refrigerator or a very cold place.
Serve with whipped cream, custard sauce, or cream if desired.
Serves 4-6 people
VARIATIONS
Alternatively if you cannot find currants substitute strawberries and or raspberries and add lemon juice to get the tangy flavour of currants. Loganberry or blackberry can be substituted for blueberries.

SINGLE SERVINGS
For single servings, make individual portions by using large ramekins. Use the ramekin to cut out the piece(s) of bread. Place one circle of bread on the bottom. Fill with the fruit compote and top the ramekin with another piece of bread if you like (optional). A fruit sandwich! You can line a soup tin with saran wrap and make a 3 -layer tall single serving ~super size it! When you begin, place the bottom of the saran lined tin on a small plate starting with the bread on the bottom. Use whatever you have handy. You do not have to get the exact container that is mentioned in the recipe. The possibilities are endless.

Single Serving Summer Pudding

FOOD TIP
Use sourdough bread for this summer pudding. The hypoglycemic index is much lower in sour dough bread than any other white bread. You will not have a hypoglycemic episode after eating sour dough bread. Dense white bread may require more liquid. Keep the extra liquid in the frig. When you unmold the pudding–fill in the missed (white) spots with the juice. I found that additional liquid was needed.

DID YOU KNOW?
Research shows that the common or garden black currant is more nutritious than other fruits ~ from home-grown apples and strawberries to tropical mangoes and bananas.
Black currants also contain the highest levels of health-boosting antioxidants – natural compounds credited with the ability to stave off a range of illnesses from heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. Since the middle ages, herbalists used black currents to treat bladder stones, liver disorders and coughs. A black current cordial was given free to children during the Second World War in Europe. Black currents are popular in European countries.
SUPER FRUIT
All berries have numerous health benefits but if you can find black currants, you will have the number one super fruit.

Heart Smart

DRIED BLACK CURRENTS
You can buy dried black currents and use them in the Summer Sunset Pudding. I found this wonderful site that processed and packaged dried currents in Washington, on the Pacific Coast of U.S.A, Better they are shipped to your door not your store. The flavour is outstanding. Here is the link–> nwwildfoods.com