6 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 hard-boiled egg yolks, mashed
2 tablespoons melted butter
FILLING AND ASSEMBLY
3 pints strawberries, washed, hulled and halved or quartered (depending on size)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup whipping cream
SHORTCAKE
Sift flour, 1/4 cup sugar and baking powder into bowl. Add chilled butter pieces. Using your fingertips, work butter quickly and lightly into flour until mixture is consistency of very fine crumbs of sand. Add cream and egg yolks and stir with fork until dough just comes together.
Turn dough out onto floured work surface and knead briefly, just until smooth dough forms. Do not overwork. Pat or roll out dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Using floured 2 1/2- or 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out 4 rounds of dough. Gather up dough scraps, reroll and cut out 2 more rounds.
Put rounds on lightly buttered baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake on middle rack of oven at 375 degrees until biscuits are golden brown and firm to the touch, 12 to 15 minutes.
FILLING AND ASSEMBLY
Toss strawberries and sugar together in bowl. Whip cream several minutes until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate. Transfer biscuits to cooling rack and cool 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully split biscuits in half and set tops aside. Place bottom halves on dessert plates and heap strawberries onto them. Generously spoon whipped cream over strawberries and replace biscuit tops. Serve immediately with any remaining whipped cream on side.
We know, you don’t like brussels sprouts—but this recipe for Creamed Brussels Sprouts will have you changing your mind!
When I was a kid, I believed a lot of really weird things: My dad was breaking the law when he would drink soda in the car. The Closet Monster would eat me in my sleep if not contained by the power of a flimsy wooden door. Brussels sprouts were tiny lettuces and, since I hated lettuce, brussels sprouts were something to avoid.
Before we get into the recipe, I want to note a tiny modification: I’m a vegetarian, so I used low-sodium vegetable broth instead of the chicken stock. Also, I trimmed my brussels sprouts, removing any bit of remaining stem and any loose or yellow leaves.
Trimmed and halved brussels sprouts ready to be creamed!
CREAMED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (instructions follow)...
2 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, sliced into small bite sized pieces
1/2 lb. uncooked bacon, finely diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 bunch celery, diced
8 cups milk
3 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes (use 1 cup of the hot potato water to dissolve, then use the 3 cups of water)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup salted butter
3/4 cup flour
1/4 bunch freshly chopped parsley
1 cup whipping cream
For garnish
Shredded cheese
fried bacon bits
chopped green onions
2L chicken or vegetable stock (preferably homemade or good quality store-bought)
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard (optional)
Fennel seeds, sumac and coriander or parsley to garnish
Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Chop the pumpkin into 1 inch thick slices, discard the seeds and peel the skin with a potato peeler. Also peel ginger and turmeric and roughly chop. Arrange in a baking dish, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour, or until pumpkin is cooked through. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
In a food processor, place about a third of the roast pumpkin with ½ cup of stock and pulse until smooth. Place the puree into a large pot and repeat twice with the rest of the pumpkin. Add the rest of the stock, honey, cumin and the mustard (if using) to the pot, and bring to the boil slowly on low heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls or mugs garnished with fennel, sumac and parsley with fresh crusty bread.
Coconut whipped cream is an incredibly satisfying, lip-licking treat. You can use it to top dairy-free hot chocolate, serve with fresh strawberries, use on top of homemade bubble tea, or serve with a variety of desserts.
White processed refined sugar has always been a nutritional “stay the hell away” ingredient.
It spikes your blood sugar, increases inflammation, and sends you on an endless roller coaster of cravings. And artificial substitutes like Splenda and Sweet ‘N Low come with chemical toxins that you need to avoid altogether.
In fact, I have no tolerance for the artificial AND white sugar. There are no nutritional benefits to consuming sugar. I mean NONE.
But without a little sweetness, life can be boring and bland.
So enter the natural sweeteners.
If you are baking and want to switch out the sugar (Domino) with a few of the below ingredients, totally cool. And recommended.
Just make sure you aren’t adding these to your tea, smoothies, even oatmeal everyday. Natural sweeteners, although good alternatives, still spike blood sugar levels and cause weight gain as well as a load of health problems.
Guideline: Use these natural sugars a few times a week. It’s common to add honey to your morning tea, stevia to your smoothie for lunch, and then agave to the ice cream treat after dinner. That’s way too much sugar for one day. Spread out the lovin’ during the week for the best possible way to get sweetness as well as take care of your health.
Here’s a practical guide you can use:
Coconut Sugar:
I use this sweetener a lot for baking.
PRO: It has a low glycemic index, and it’s not as chemically processed as other sugars.
CONS: It’s super expensive. Usually it tends to be about four times more expensive than Domino sugar .
Agave Nectar:
It’s not the best for baking but can be used in teas and other drinks.PRO: Agave has a lower glycemic index, meaning your body absorbs it more slowly than refined sugar, so you avoid the typical blood-sugar spikes and crazy sugar rushes.
CON: Agave is mainly 90% fructose. While fructose breaks down more rapidly than glucose in the liver (that’s good for blood sugar), an excess can lead to a greater production of fat and overeating. It’s actually 10 calories more per tablespoon than sugar, too.Maple Syrup:
Maple syrup is great to top on pancakes and oatmeal.
PRO: Very natural. Pure maple syrup is high in antioxidants and Grade B is stronger in flavor than Grade A.
CON: Still the same amount of calories as white sugar, it also doesn’t taste as well in baking. Oh and make sure to get 100% maple syrup not Mrs. Butterworth.
Honey:
Great to put in tea, but the calories are similar to agave.
PRO: Honey is considered a powerhouse for vitamins and minerals and is known to have healing properties. . Raw honey has a high level of antioxidants, too.
CONS: Honey’s glycemic index is higher than agave’s (though it’s still lower than refined sugar).
Stevia:
You can bake with stevia but it’s mainly used for drinks.
PRO: Calorie-free and natural, it comes from the stevia plant. If you are addicted to the artificial sugars and like ripping open the package, you can do that with stevia and feel like you are getting the same effect.
CON: Sometimes it’s chemically processed, which can cause health issues like diarrhea. Check the labels. Truvia is both erythritol (a sugar alcohol) and stevia. Try to get 100% raw stevia so you know you aren’t getting other processed ingredients.
* Word on Sugar in the Raw: When it comes to your health, it’s still basically the same as regular refined table sugar—lots of calories, a blood sugar spike, etc… Turbinado (brown sugar) is a bit less refined than the white sugar, however.
If you are having not-so-healthy sweet cravings and want a sure-fire way to curb things, try just one easy thing.
Add sweet veggies to your meals and see if the “I can’t stop eating cookies!” feeling eases up.
I don’t mean eat a sweet potato instead of the baklava, but slowly add in the pumpkin, squash, carrots, beets to your meals, and soon you’ll notice you won’t have the burning desire for the processed sugar.
The reason is because sweet veggies soothe the internal organs and are grounding. They help balance out your system instead of the spaciness you feel after eating sugar.
Here’s a satisfying and sweet (and spicy) dish you can try:
(in fact, I slurped it up for dinner, it’s by far one of my favorite soups evah)
Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced (1/2 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
3/4 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 -2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (3-4 cups)
4 cups vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, and flakes. Cook for 5 minutes. Add potatoes and stock cook until boiling. Lower heat and cook for 20 minutes. Puree 3/4 of the soup. Pour back into the pot and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
