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Sweet & Salty Kale Chips

Coconut-Almond Butter Cups

Be a Sweet Student

ReFRESHing Popsicle anyone?

I treasure my memories as a child of multicolored popsicles, tasty freezies and succulent ice cream cups (although I didn’t know that word then). The idea of these treats make me salivate to this day, I’m drooling on my laptop right now! The sad thing is that they are little more than sugar water with chemical colorings and flavours and that’s not the type of food I put into my healthy body.

But all is not lost, this summer, instead of diving into a pint of ice cream to finish off your workweek, why not safely indulge with a fresh homemade popsicle instead?

Strawberry-Lemonade Popsicles

Makes 3 cups popsicle mix.

Ingredients:

1 lemon

1-2 tbsp melted raw honey (to taste)

1/2 cup julienned seedless Cucumber

1/2 cup chopped strawberries

Chopped fresh mint, as desired

Friday Night Snacker

Coconut Shrimp

Party food is traditionally “dirty food”. Everything from deep fried foods to cheesy dips and high sugar snacks. Next time you are attending a party make sure you bring along this tasty treat and trick your friends into eating something healthy. They’ll never know the difference

Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple-Jalapeno Dipping Sauce
Makes 24 shrimp.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper (TIP: Seed jalapenos to reduce heat. Remember to wear gloves when handling the peppers.)
1/2 cup all-natural pineapple preserves
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 egg whites (beaten)
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or flour (TIP: Arrowroot is an easily digested starch extracted from the roots of the arrowroot plant, used as a thickener when cooking. Try it as a substitute for cornstarch in most recipes.)
2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut

Directions:

1. Combine lime juice, jalapeno and pineapple preserves in a small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. Preheat oven to 400F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

3. In a small bowl beat egg whites with a hand mixer until foamy or soft peaks form.

4. Place arrowroot and coconut on two separate plates. Hold shrimp by the tail and dip and coat the shrimp with arrowroot. Next, dip the shrimp in the egg whites and finally in the coconut coating well.

5. Place shrimp on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until coconut is a golden brown. Make sure to turn it once halfway through (around 8 minutes into cooking time) to make sure both sides brown.

6. Serve with pineapple dipping sauce.

Always living with passion,

Sammie

Inspired by http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/baked-coconut-shrimp-recipe/3/

All of the Goodness. None of the Allergens.

Coconut Chocolate Bites

In my world if I’m gonna eat some tasty junk food I’m gonna do it right. I know many of you have images of cupcakes and candy, burgers and potato chips floating around in your imagination right now but when I say “do it right” I mean, “lets make this as dirty tasting as possible while remaining good for me!” Yes these are my higher fat, higher “sugar” even foods. But that doesn’t mean I can’t make something taste like heaven without breaking the scale!

Case in point! This evening I have a get together at a friend’s house to attend and I’ve decided to bring a sweet and luscious treat for everyone to enjoy. Extra points for being made with love.

I’ve been craving chocolate lately so instead of running to the store to buy “Almond Joy’s”  I chose to make some of my own. Decide and do that’s how I roll. How hard can it be? I already know how to make chocolate thanks to Meghan Telpners Gluten and Dairy Free Treats class.

Chocolate Benefits:

Chocolate and cocoa powder are derived from beans that contain hefty quantities of natural antioxidants called flavonoids.  These antioxidants are thought to be effective in helping to prevent cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Consuming dark chocolate in moderation can have major benefits!

Additionally dark chocolate is fairly high in magnesium, with 176 mg in a 100 g serving. Adult women ages 19 to 30 should get 310 mg every day, while women over 31 need 320 mg. Magnesium is involved in more than 300 chemical reactions in your body, particularly those involved in the metabolic process that converts food to energy. It is also necessary for your muscles and nerves to function correctly — including regulating your heart rate, and acting as a muscle relaxant. This is why women often crave chocolate when they are approaching their menses, because the body is using magnesium in order to help relax the associated muscles that cause cramping and reduce pain.

Let’s start with the dark chocolate. The simple rule for making chocolate is one part cocoa to one part fat.

Ingredients:

2 cups cocoa powder (raw)
1 cup finely chopped Cacao Butter
1 cup coconut oil
3-4 tbsp coconut syrup (this sweetener is low GI meaning it won’t spike your insulin levels, good for you! You may sub other natural sweeteners)

Over a double boiler (a bowl placed over a pot of simmering water) melt the ingredients together. Simple as that! But warning, be sure not to get any water in your chocolate mixture, it will separate your chocolate. If this happens, add more coconut oil until it comes together again.

I placed a single almond in mold in 2 ice cube trays and poured just enough chocolate to cover the almond. Straight into the freezer to set up.

Next I tackle the coconut filling. I had read a blog post the other day on making coconut butter so that is my first feat.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups shredded organic coconut
additional 1/2 cup shredded organic coconut
1.2 tsp almond extract
1 extra ripe banana
2 tbsp coconut oil

I first placed the 1.5 cups of coconut in the food processor with the almond extract and processed on high for nearly 15 minutes (periodically scraping down the sides) until I could squeeze the coconut mixture and it hold together.

I then found that it wasn’t quite creamy enough for my liking so I added the coconut oil to make it into more of a paste and the additional coconut for texture. The banana came in when I couldn’t figure out how exactly to sweeten it and not drastically alter the flavour, coconut syrup was not sweet enough, honey and maple were too flavourful but a ripe banana mashed was the perfect compliment. I creamed this all together using a spoon in my mixing bowl.

Putting it all together

Removing the chocolate molds from the freezer place a small ball (roll between your hands) of the coconut mixture in each compartment. Fill to cover with the remaining chocolate and set in the freezer once again. It’s as simple as that.

You can enjoy these straight out of the fridge or freezer but beware due to the coconut oil in the chocolate they might get a little soft if left at room temperature for too long.

The recipe yields 28 or so chocolates and they are a treat. You only need to eat 1 or 2 Share!

Always living with passion,

Sammie