If you know a dietitian personally, you’ve probably witnessed her (or him) using her food knowledge to justify whatever she’s eating. You may have heard her say, “Oatmeal helps prevent colon cancer, so I should probably eat these oatmeal cookies.” Or maybe she’s said, “Red grapes contain resveratrol, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidant. So yes, I’d like another glass of wine.” Or you’ve heard the weakest, but probably most commonly used, justification — “Chocolate contains antioxidants!” So for those of you who like to have your cake and justify it too, here is the perfect dessert: Zucchini Brownies! …
Almond Pudding Cakes with Dulce de Leche Sauce
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
To celebrate this excuse to drink margaritas holiday, I’m sharing my most recent development: almond pudding cake with dulce de leche sauce! It’s warm, gooey, sweet, and surprisingly healthful!
These little cakes are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar. You could even eat these as breakfast muffins if you wanted! …
Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies
As promised in my Feeding Toddlers article, here is the recipe for my Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies! Aren’t they cute? These babies are no-bake, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and oil-free. And yet, they’re mini PB & J sandwiches — like “Uncrustables” without the junk ingredients!…
Golden Spice Cream with Pumpkin Seed Crackle
I’ve been all about turmeric lately, so it’s only fitting that when we finally had a hint of warm weather, I decided to make turmeric and ginger ice cream — spice cream, if you will. And since I’ve been loving my golden milk almost every night, why not use the same flavors to make a deliciously creamy dessert?
This golden spice cream is unlike any ice cream flavor you’ve ever tried, yet it’s so rich and satisfying. The addition of coconut cream makes it so thick, my husband compared it to custard! You won’t miss the dairy, I promise….
Cookie Dough Dip
With Super Bowl 50 less than 2 weeks away, it’s time to start planning your Super Bowl menu. I know, I know, you’ll probably just order a pizza and some wings, but why not have at least one nutritious menu item? And why not serve a secretly nutritious dessert, like this delicious cookie dough dip??? …
Peppermint Meringue Cookies (Vegan!)
When I was in elementary school, my favorite book to check out from the library was Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes, which contained recipes with titles such as, “Snozzcumbers,” “Fresh Mudburgers,” and “Bruce Bogtrotter’s Cake.” My absolute favorite, however, was a dessert called “Stickjaw for Talkative Parents,” which was simply a batch of meringue cookies with a chewy caramel inside each.
Thus began my love for meringue cookies. …
Cinnamon Ice Cream With Salted Caramel and Brûléed Banana
I may be a dietitian, but I’m still human — a human with a sweet tooth. So naturally, my favorite recipes to concoct are desserts. Granted, my desserts are nutritious, vegan, and gluten-free, but they’re still decadent treats that should be reserved for special occasions.
This cinnamon ice cream with salted caramel and brûléed banana seems complex, but I promise it’s quite easy! The ice cream, shortbread cookies, and salted caramel can be made ahead, and the bananas can be caramelized using a créme brûlée torch or an oven broiler right before serving. And trust me, this will be your new favorite summer dessert! …
Fudgesicles w/ Protein (+ A Product Review!)
You know you’ve made it as a food blogger when you’re mailed a product and asked to do a review on your blog!
And I’ll admit, because I believe it’s possible to eat all of the protein you need from eating only plants, I generally don’t endorse protein powders.
BUT . . .
When I received my sample of Nature’s Food Organic Protein, I was impressed by its ingredient list and the fact that it’s 100% vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and lactose-free. It’s also free of preservatives, cholesterol, and artificial flavors and sweeteners. The main reason I like this product, however, is the fact that it contains Bacillus coagulans, which is a beneficial probiotic (good bacteria). Probiotics help boost your immune system and aid in digestion by improving gut health, and should be part of everyone’s diet! …
Red Bean Ice Cream (Vegan)
I’m continuing my Asian-inspired ice cream flavors this week with this red bean ice cream made with sweet red bean paste! Last week I posted a black sesame ice cream, which you absolutely must try!
Red bean paste (known as anko) is a common filling to mochi, dumplings, cookies, and other Chinese and Japanese desserts. At first the idea of beans in my desserts made me cringe, but after I tasted that sweet red paste, my mind was filled with new dessert recipe ideas!
But first, ice cream . . . 🙂 …
Black Sesame Ice Cream (Vegan)
Well, the time has come. I’ve finally caved to my husband’s requests and dusted off the ice cream maker, which has been stored for the winter. I generally resist making ice cream because I love it so much that if it’s in the freezer, I WILL eat it. I’m sure most of you can relate.
And after tasting this recipe, I knew I was in trouble!…
Almond Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies with Chia Seed Jam
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, breakfast is not a meal on which I enjoy spending lots of time. I’m usually too eager to start my day and will settle for a bite of Abby’s morning banana and a cup of coffee. I’m also guilty of grabbing a leftover oatmeal cookie and calling it “oatmeal” to make myself feel better, which was really the inspiration for this recipe.
There are several other breakfast cookie recipes online, but all of them I saw contain banana as a key ingredient. Banana is fine, but not everyone likes its strong flavor (my husband, for example), so I decided to make a nutritious banana-free cookie that constitutes a balanced breakfast. The result was high in fiber, protein, omega-3’s and antioxidants, and so delicious!…
Lactation Cookies (Vegan & GF)
If you’re a breastfeeding mother, you might discover that your milk supply dips on occasion. As I mentioned in my Lactation 102: Improving Lactation post, there are certain foods that can help boost your milk supply. Among these foods are oats, flax seeds, and brewer’s yeast, which are all ingredients included in my lactation cookie recipe!…