The Healthy Cooking Coach

Got Pears? Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth in a Healthy Way!

Did you know that pears date back to ancient times? Some varieties date back thousands of years.  Archeologists have unearthed convincing evidence that pears were used by Stone Agers, including ancient lake dwellers of Switzerland.

The Greek poet Homer (850 BC) referred to pears as “gift of the gods.” The Romans grafted more than 50 varieties of pears and the Roman conquerors spread them throughout Europe.

Between 3000 and 5000 varieties of pears are grown worldwide with more than 100 grown in the U.S. Most people are familiar with only a handful of varieties. Check your local farmers’ market for exotic and heirloom varieties.

Photo Credit right: from Wikipedia

What’s in a pear
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a fresh pear.  They are a good source of Vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fiber. 100 calories per serving. A small (3.5 ounce) pear provides 15 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of fiber and 7% of the daily value for vitamin C and 4 %of the DV for potassium, all for only 60 calories. Double that for a medium large pear weighing in at 7 ounces. Pears also contain trace minerals.

How to pick a pear
Check the Neck for Ripeness!

Here are some tips from the Pears USA website:  Photo from Pears USA
Pears are a unique fruit that ripen best off the tree (without getting technical, pears that ripen on the tree will be gritty), they are meant to be ripened after purchase. The other reason you might rarely find ripe pears in the store is that ripe pears are fragile, so it's better to have them ripen at your home rather than in the store.

Most pears don't change color as they ripen. The Check the Neck™ technique is the most accurate ripeness indicator for non-bartlett pears.

Choose pears that are fragrant with a fruity aroma and free of blemishes (bruises and soft spots). For cooking, choose fruit that is still quite firm. Press gently on the stem or near the blossom. The fruit should yield slightly to the touch.

Pear season
Their season runs from late July until early summer, depending on the variety.

How to store pears
Store them at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate in a bowl, paper bag, or a crisper bin lined with a cotton towel or place mat. You don’t need to keep them in plastic bags.

How make pears ripen faster
Here are some tips from the Pears USA website: http://www.usapears.com/pears/default.asp
If you are faced with a bunch of hard pears, follow this easy 1, 2, 3 process to get your pears to their ripe and juicy perfection.

1.   Place hard pears in a paper bag or a covered fruit bowl, leave at room temperature.
2.   Every day, "Check the Neck for Ripeness"™. To do this, apply gentle pressure to the stem end of the pear with your thumb. When it yields to the pressure, it's ready to eat (this process usually takes a few days).
3.   Enjoy your ripe, juicy pears now, or store them in the fridge until you're ready to use them. The fridge will slow down the ripening process, but won't stop it. Ready to eat pears will stay fresh in the fridge for between 3-5 days.

To peel or not to peel
You don’t have to peel them; however, I think they look prettier if peeled before baking or poaching. If you peel them more than 5 minutes before adding them to a salad, fruit crisp, fruit plate, or other dish, toss them with apple, orange, or lemon juice to coat to keep the flesh from browning. 

Here's one of my favorite pear recipes from my recent book, The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes, and Sauces. I make it  throughout the fall, winter, and early spring.

Poached Pears with Raisins & Dried Apricots

Hands-on: 20 minutes/ Cooking: 25 to 30 minutes/ Yield: 12 servings

Don Matesz, my co-author on The Garden of Eating, created the prototype for this recipe more than 15 years ago. I’ve tweaked it several times since then to arrive at this version. Raisins and dried apricots sweeten this dessert without refined sugar, providing extra antioxidants and color.

Serve these pears warm or close to room temperature, unadorned, or topped with chopped toasted nuts (try pecans pistachios, or walnuts), a generous drizzle of macadamia nut butter, raw coconut butter (not the oil), or scoops of homemade Ice Dream from the Ice Dream Cookbook (try Cinnamon, Ginger, Vanilla Lite, Dark Chocolate or Cocoa flavor).

Note: If possible, use Turkish dried apricots; they taste sweeter than other varieties of dried apricots, eliminating the need for added sweeteners in this dessert. Look for them in natural foods stores and specialty markets. If you must use a conventional variety of dried apricots, which are very tart, use the higher volume of dried fruit listed below and replace the water with apple, peach, pear, apricot, or white grape juice to produce a sweet flavor.

Ingredients:      
1/3 to 1/2 cups raisins, depending upon desired sweetness
1/3 to 1/2 cup dried, pitted, unsulphured (preferably Turkish) apricots, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon (see variations below)
6 medium-size ripe, fragrant, but firm, unblemished pears (2 1/2 to 3 pounds total): 
    Bosc, Comice, Bartlett, Spartlet, Anjou, or other variety
Coarsely grated zest of 1/2 orange or tangerine, colored part only, optional
1 1/3 cups filtered water, divided
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

1 recipe (1 to 1 ½ quarts) Vanilla, Cocoa, Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Hazelnut,  Cinnamon, or Ginger Ice Dream (see The Ice Dream Cookbook for recipes), optional

1.  Chop or cut dried apricots into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces with kitchen shears or a knife. Combine them with the raisins and spices in a 3- to 4-quart pot or a shallow 12- to 13-inch sauté pan. Wash and peel pears, then cut in half from end to end. Scoop out and discard the seed center with a teaspoon or melon baller.
2.  Arrange pear halves cut side down over the dried fruit. Add the optional citrus zest and 1 cup of the water. Cover and bring to boil over medium heat without stirring. Reduce heat and simmer until fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve arrowroot in 1/4 cup of cold water. Set aside.
3.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a platter, 12 serving bowls, or 3 to 6 Pyrex containers, leaving the dried fruit and juices in the pan. Stir the arrowroot mixture, then add it to the pan. Simmer over medium-high heat and stir until thick and saucy, then spoon over pears. Serve warm or allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate.
4.  Spoon 1 or 2 pear halves onto each serving plate with some of the sauce. Top with a scoop of Ice Dream and serve. Refrigerate the leftovers and use within 4 days.

1 pear half without topping: 75 calories, 0 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrate (2 grams fiber), 0 grams fat, 15 milligrams calcium, 0 milligrams sodium 

Variations:

*  Make your own pie spice: Combine 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/3 teaspoon dried ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves.

*  Poached Pears with Raisins, Dried Apricots & Anise:  Replace pie spice with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.

*  Poached Pears with Raisins, Dried Apricots & Anise:  Replace pie spice with 2 teaspoons of whole anise seeds or ground anise powder for a licorice-like flavor.

*  Poached Pears with Dried Apricots, Prunes & 5-Spice: Replace raisins with thinly sliced, pitted prunes, and pie spice with 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder.

Source: © Copyright 2008  The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes, and Sauces By Rachel Albert Matesz

An Apple A Day

Apples and Your Health
Have you ever wondered where the expression, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” came from? According to food historians, it came from the old English adage, “ To eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread.”

One medium apples contains about 80 to 100 calories and 5 grams of fiber, more than you get from a slice of most whole grain breads. Apples contain soluble fiber, which is less irritating than the insoluble fiber found in wheat.

Two-thirds of the fiber in an apple is found in the skin, along with some of the antioxidants, which protect our tissues and cells from damaging free radicals, prevent premature aging, and reduce the risk of developing many diseases.

Apples are a great source of tannins, substances that helps prevent UTIs (urinary tract infections) and may reduce the risk of developing heart disease and periodontal (gum) disease.

Women who eat apples while pregnant may protect their child from developing asthma and related symptoms, say the authors of a recent study.

Apples are rich in flavonoids, a class of antioxidant. Apples are rich in one particular flavonoid known as quercetin, an antioxidant-like compound also found 
in onions and red wine. You won’t get pulled over for eating apples, so you can enjoy it any time, any where, without requiring a dedicated driver.

Apple Trivia:
You’ve bobbed for apples, right? Have you ever wondered why apples float? Air makes up 25 percent of an apple's volume.

Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since at least 6500 B.C. Charred apples have been found in prehistoric dwellings in Switzerland.

Did you know the crabapple is the only apple native to North America? The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Apples belong to the rose family.

Apples are the second most valuable fruit grown in the United States after oranges. They’re grown in 50 states, but grown commercially in 36 states.

The top apple producing states include Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California and Virginia.

The world's top apple producers include China, United States, Turkey, Poland and Italy.

2500 varieties of apples are grown in the U.S., yet only 100 varieties are grown commercially. 7500 varieties are grown world wide.

I love apples
In the fall and winter I often eat one every day or at least four times a week. One of my favorite snacks consists of a sliced tart-sweet apple slathered with peanut butter. I like to add sliced apples to green salads with raisins or cranberries and a fruity vinaigrette or to a chicken waldorf salad. Sometimes I make them into an apple sauce that rivals bottled brands, or a stewed apple compote that tastes divine sprinkled with chopped toasted nuts or a slightly sweet nut butter sauce. I’ve made, dried apples chips and fruit roll ups for gifts. I also like baked stuffed apples. The recipe below comes from my previous book, The Garden of Eating. This is a great recipe for the holidays.

Baked Apples with Date-Nut Filling

Prep: 30 minutes/ Cooking: 1 hour/ Yield: 9 servings

You don’t need butter or brown sugar to make irresistible baked apples. This dessert tastes wonderful warm or close to room temperature and the leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note: Use eating apples rather than cooking apples; they hold their shape without collapsing into a puddle of apple sauce.

Filling:
1/3 cup packed, dried, sulfite free raisins
1/3 cup packed, dried, pitted dates
1/3 cup unsalted, unsweetened almond or cashew butter or non-hydrogenated peanut butter
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate (do not thaw)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla or maple extract (preferably non-alcoholic)
1 1/4 teaspoons apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice

Apples:
9 small to medium size tart-sweet apples (5 to 6 ounces each): 
Early Gold, Ginger Gold, Braeburn, gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, Sundowner, or Cortland
1/3 cup filtered water or apple juice

1.  Preheat oven to 375˚ F. Mince dried fruit and combine with remaining filling ingredients. Or, combine filling ingredients in a food processor or Vita-Mix and process until smooth.
2.  Wash apples and core twice to create a wide cavity. Remove apple bits from around seeds, then core, mince, and add to filling.  Peel upper 1/3 of each apple to keep skins from splitting during cooking, or remove entire peel.
3.  Fill apples, mounding extra filling on top. Stand apples in a 9-inch square or oblong baking pan. Add water to pan. Tightly cover pan with parchment then aluminum foil, or a tight-fitting lid. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until fork tender but not mushy.
4.  Simmer the pan juices in a saucepan to reduce to 1/4 cup, then spoon over apples. Serve warm or close to room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers and use within 5 days.

1 serving: 195 calories, 3 protein, 35 g carbohydrate (7 g fiber), 6 fat,  62 mg calcium

Variations:

*   Substitute 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon cardamom, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/8 teaspoon powdered orange zest, for apple pie spice.

Source:  The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook
By Rachel Albert-Matesz & Don Matesz (Planetary Press, 2004)

My First Date

I had my first date in third or fourth grade. I was helping my mother make date-nut bars from a mix.  We added water to the paper pouch of dried, powdered dates, spread the dark paste over a crumbly oat mixture, pressed the remaining flour mixture on top, and baked. They looked something  like this: Photo credit for date bars  from this site

I found the creamy texture, jammy texture, and sublime sweetness of the dates against the dry cookie crust irresistible. I became equally fond of date-nut granola and holiday fruit cake. However, I don't think I had my first plain date until college. I was at a party, feeling awkward and shy, when I spotted a tray of dried fruit and nuts in the corner. I moved closer to investigate. Hesitantly I picked up a luscious jumbo date, split down the center and stuffed with an almond. It was love at first bite.

Still I held back. For years I dabbled with dates, adding them to cookies, cakes, or holiday quick breads on occasion, but never really exploring the many ways I could bond with them. Maybe I was afraid of getting closer. It wasn't until my early thirties that I let dates move into my kitchen for good. Since then it's been a great relationship and I've never looked back.

How sweet it is! 
Eventually I saw how I could use dates to replace other sweets and sweeteners in my diet. For dessert, I’d stuff one or two of them with toasted almonds, walnuts, or pecans; purée dates into puddings and smoothies; mix them with pulverized nuts for a no-bake pie crust; or frost a coconut-date roll with nut butter after dinner. Then I started creating new recipes with dates, including the Dark Chocolate- Dipped Date Nut Truffles to your right (recipe below). Photo credit: Rachel Albert-Matesz © Copyright 2007

What’s so great about dates?
This desert-sweet fruit is virtually fat free, a good source of potassium, and i contains other important nutrients in modest amounts.

Nutrition breakdown for 100 gram portion (5 to 6 medium dates)
248 calories
248 milligrams of potassium (7% of DV)
31 grams of carbohydrate
3 grams of fiber fiber (14% of DV),
4% of DV (Daily Value) for magnesium
2% of DV (Daily Value) for calcium
trace amounts of iron, riboflavin, phosphorus, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6

Note: If you’re like me, you won’t eat that many dates in one sitting. I find dates so sweet I need to cut them with something bitter––toasted nuts, nut butter, or unsweetened baker’s chocolate. Still it's great to know that you can satisfy your sweet tooth while you take in important nutrients.   

Photo of dates right > courtesy Erica from Mountgrove Arcadia Black Sphinx Dates, Phoenix, AZ.

Tips for working with dates
Pitting dates: Cut a slit down the top of each date, pull the sides apart, remove seed, then press the date together again.

Chopping dates: Use a heavy chef or vegetable knife. Rinse and dry the blade frequently to remove the sticky residue. To chop a large volumes of dates with ease: pit then freeze on a cookie sheet for 1 to 2 hours, then slice. When dealing with hard, dry dates, steam until soft, then chop.

 Puréeing dates: Spread dates in a shallow bowl; add warm or hot water to barely cover (approximately 3/4 to 1 cup hot water per cup of dates). Cover and soak for 1 to 2 hours, then purée in a food processor or Vita-Mix until smooth. Add additional water only as needed to blend. Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks or freeze.

Using date paste or purée: Add it to baked goods to replace liquid sweeteners. Use as a jam-like spread for bread with organic raw butter or toasted cashew, almond, or peanut butter. Use as a sauce for pancakes or waffles or to sweeten plain organic goat or cow’s milk yogurt.

For some great locally grown dates from a small producer (if you live in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area), contact Erica for Mountgrove Arcadia Black Sphinx Dates 602-840-0622

For more great ways with dates, Check out The Ice Dream Cookbook

Dark Chocolate-Dipped Dates & Date-Nut Truffles 

Prep: 30 minutes/ Yield:  24 to 32 pieces   

Who would think that you could make a healthy chocolate indulgence with so few ingredients? Dates stand in for refined sugar and dairy products in these truffle-like creations. They're great for parties, picnics, pot lucks, the holiday, and year round entertaining. People who think they don’t like dates usually change their minds after they try these. People who already like dates (and chocolate) need no convincing.

FYI: Look for coconut-date rolls in natural foods stores, or over the Internet if you don’t live in a date-growing region.They’re made from dried, pitted dates put through a grinder twice, rolled in sulfite-free, unsweetened coconut, and shaped into cylinders. Different brands vary in moisture content, size, and sweetness. If possible, make your own date rolls using locally grown dates. It’s easy.

To make your own coconut-date rolls: Pulverize soft pitted dates in a food processor or put them through a meat grinder. If the mixture appears stiff, add warm water a tablespoon at a time as needed to create a stiff cookie dough texture. Add 1/2 cup unsweetened sulfite-free coconut per half pound of pitted dates. Omit coconut if you’re allergic. Form into 1-ounce cylinders. Cut each one in half to form two pieces for the recipe below. 

Look for unsweetened, sulfite-free shredded coconut in natural foods stores or over the internet. Most supermarkets only sell bleached and sugared coconut flakes, which you don't want.

If you use walnuts or hazelnuts below, after toasting, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and roll the towel back and forth the loosen the bitter skins. Remove the nuts and leave the bitter skins behind.

Suggestion: Don’t eat these on an empty stomach. Wait until you’ve had a satisfying meal with ample protein and fibrous vegetables, when you just want a little something to complete the meal. Then, slowly savor one or two and stop. Yes, they’re much better for you than conventional candies; however, they’re still very calorie dense so you don’t want to make a meal of them! (Do I sound like your mother?)

Ingredients:
4-ounces unsweetened baker’s chocolate bar (e.g., Hershey’s, Ghirardelli, Nestle, or Sharffen Berger), broken or chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound Coconut-Date Rolls (about 16 long pieces; see notes above)
1 cup unsweetened, sulfite-free shredded coconut
1 cup shelled, dry toasted or roasted, unsalted pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, or hazelnuts (you might want to use 2 or 3 different kinds for variety)     

1.  Line one or more rimmed baking sheets with foil wrappings from the chocolate, unbleached parchment paper or a nonstick bake liner.
2.  Melt chocolate in a double boiler over hot––but not boiling––water, or in a small saucepan over very low heat. If using a gas range and a saucepan, slip a heat deflector under the pan to keep the heat low. When mostly melted turn heat to warm.
3.  Arrange whole or crushed nuts and coconut in small bowls. Cut date rolls in half. Roll each half into a ball or shape into 2 small squares.
4.  Add 4 to 6 date squares or balls to the melted chocolate. Using 2 spoons, turn the pieces in the chocolate one at a time to coat. Drip excess chocolate back into the pan.
    For square pieces: Transfer a chocolate-coated date square to the prepared sheet. Press a whole nut or nut half on top or sprinkle with several pine nuts. 
    For round pieces: Transfer a chocolate-coated date ball to a small bowl of coarsely chopped, toasted nuts or unsweetened, flaked coconut. Using 2 clean spoons, lift the nut meal or coconut over the ball and turn to coat. Transfer to the prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining coconut-date pieces.
5.  Refrigerate or freeze until firm before serving.  When chilled, transfer remaining pieces to a container, cover, and refrigerate or freeze. (They won’t spoil!) Freeze for at least 48 hours before packing for gift giving. It works best for local gift giving because the untempered chocolate will melt in transit. To transport, freeze dates for at least 12 hours then carry in an insulated tote with freezer packs.

1 serving (2 pieces): 139 calories, 2 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate (3 g fiber), 6 g fat, 8 mg calcium, 3 mg sodium

© Copyright 2008, Rachel Albert-Matesz

Source: The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alterantives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces by Rachel Albert-Matesz (Planetary Press, 2004)

Dairy Free Peach Melba

The great French Chef, Escoffier, created this dessert in honor of the Australian opera singer, Nellie Melba, at the Hotel Savoy in London in 1892. (Maybe he had a crush on her?). I first learned to make this dish in seventh grade, in French club, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I’ll never forget my French teacher, Chantal Ryland, who helped fuel my joy for cooking. She used canned peaches and commercial ice cream. I think she would be impressed with the flavors I’ve created without milk, cream, or refined sugar. 

If you love peaches, raspberries, and vanilla ice cream or dairy free ice cream alternatives, you’ll want to try this recipe. Poaching peaches doesn’t require much hands-on time and you can prepare them the night before serving if you like. Instead of using a sugar, I use honey or agave nectar and stevia to sweeten both the peaches and the raspberry sauce. 

Don’t let the calorie count of this recipe scare you off. One full serving consists of two peach halves, 1 full cup of ice cream or Ice Dream, and 1/4 cup of raspberries sauce, that's more than enough for a serious snack or a fourth meal. If you don’t want that much, try the half serving size, which still provides an ample amount of food.

PHOTO CREDIT: Julie Ann Elefante, a local food lover I met at the downtown Phoenix Public Market last fall. She's working to get her associates degree in culinary arts at a local community college. I shared a few of my favorite squash and root vegetable recipes with her. She sent me a link to her blog, gave me encouragement to start my own blog, and agreed to  test a few recipes for my book. She did a great job and gave me useful suggestions for improving the instructions for this and a few other recipes. You can visit her blog and check out her gorgeous food shots at One Wall Kitchen

Peach Melba       

Hands-On: 20 to 30 minutes /  Cooking: 25 minutes/ Yield: 4 to 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups cool or cold filtered water
1/4 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon clear stevia liquid
2 tablespoons honey or agavé nectar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or natural vanilla flavoring
4 large ripe peaches

1 to 1 1/2 quarts or 8 scoops Vanilla Ice Dream (Page of The Ice Dream Cookbook) or Turtle Mountain Purely Decadent or Bliss
1 to 1 1/2 cups Raspberry Sauce (see previous post)
Additional raspberries for garnish
1/4 to 1/2 cup lightly toasted, coarsely chopped almonds

1.    Combine the water, stevia, optional honey, vanilla, and peaches in a 2- to 3-quart pot. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until fork tender. Turn the peaches 3 times, about once every 3 or 4 minutes. (Set them in the pot with their stem ends up, then turn them upside down. This way, you always know which direction they should be facing as opposed to just setting them on their sides.) Exact time will depend upon the size and ripeness of the peaches.
2.    Remove peaches and reduce the poaching liquid by slow boiling for about 15 minutes, uncovered, until you have about 1/2 cup. Transfer the peaches to a Pyrex bowl and the juices to another bowl or small jar. Cover and refrigerate until cold. You can do this up to 2 days ahead.
3.    To serve, peel, halve and pit the peaches. Divide reserved poaching liquid among 4 dessert dishes or wine glasses. Add a scoop of vanilla Ice Dream, and place a peach half on either side of the Ice Dream. Spoon the raspberry sauce in a wide band overlapping both the peach halves and the Ice Dream. Garnish with nuts and serve immediately.
4.    Refrigerate unused peaches and sauce and use within a few days.

1 full serving: 597 calories, 7 grams protein, 71 grams carbohydrate, 32 grams fat, 134 milligrams sodium

1 half serving: 298 calories, 3.5 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrate, 16 grams fat, 67 milligrams sodium

Variations:

*    Replace water with white grape juice; then omit stevia and honey.

*    Replace peaches with nectarines.

Source: The Ice Dream Cookbook by Rachel Albert-Matesz © COPYRIGHT 2008
For more info or to order click here

Raspberry Sauce

What’s so great about raspberries?
Raspberries contain significant amounts of vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, and other compounds that protect our bodies against the damaging effects of free radicals. Raspberries contain ellagic acid, quercetin, gallic acid, anthocyanins, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol, and salicylic acid, polyphenol antioxidants that have been shown to slow down the aging process, reduce pain and inflammation, reduce the risk of developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, allergies, age-related cognitive decline, and macular degeneration.

What are free radicals?
I found this definition on the website POM Wonderful Pomegrante Juice, which was based on research published in Research Communications in Molecular Pathology and Pharmacology, (1997), 95: 179-189. “Free radicals are atoms or molecules in your body with an unpaired electron, making them highly unstable. Because electrons normally come in pairs, the free radicals collide with other molecules in an attempt to steal an electron, and may start a chain reaction, damaging your DNA and cells. Emerging science suggests this free radical damage may be linked to disease. Free radical scavengers, or antioxidants, bind with the free radicals before they can do their damage.

How do we protect ourselves from free radicals?
Eating an abundance of antioxidant-rich produce raises the level of antioxidants in the body and this helps reduce free radical damage to tissues and cells. To better illustrate the concept of antioxidants warding off free radical damage, think of your body as a car. As it burns fuel, it creates friction. If you don’t add enough oil to lubricants the engine, your car burns up, wears out, and breaks down more quickly than it was designed to. The same thing happens to your cells, tissues, and organ if you don’t eat enough antioxidant rich vegetables and fruit every day. The best defense is

What’s in a cup of raspberries?
A one cup serving contains only 64 calories, 1 gram of fat, 1 gram of protein, 15 grams of carbohydrate, abd a generous 8 grams of fiber. A single serving provides 54% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin C, 5% of the DV for iron, and 3 % of the DV for calcium.

Because of their higher fiber and water content, raspberries have a high satiety value. Who overeat raspberries? As I mentioned in a previous post about potatoes, one of the keys to lasting weight loss and weight management is to build your diet around unrefined whole foods with a high satiety value (SV). That means making vegetables and fruits the focal point, and the largest volume, of your meals and snacks. This allows you to eat your fill without overshooting your energy needs.

Raspberry Trivia: Have you ever wondered why raspberries cost so much?
According the authors of http://www.pickyourown.org/raspberries.htm, a web site
that tells you where you can find a pick-your-own farm near you, “Raspberries are so expensive in the grocery store because, since they are so soft, they bruise easily, spoil quickly and do not ship well.  It's much better to pick your own!” More fun too.

Here’s a recipe from my new book, The Ice Dreeam Cookbook. This colorful, low-calorie sauce tastes great over Ice Dream or commercial non-dairy coconut-based ice cream. You can also use this sauce to dress up sliced melon, peaches, or nectarines. I like to add a sprinkle of shredded, unsweetened coconut or chopped toasted almonds, walnut, or pecans. This makes a perfect finale to any meal, including breakfast

Raspberry Sauce 

Hands-on: 20 minutes /  Cooking: 0 /Yield: 1 cup; 8 servings

Note: Consider doubling the recipe as this sauce freezes well. Rinse fresh raspberries just before using and don’t soak them in water for any length of time, or they’ll become soggy and lose flavor.

Ingredients:
1 pint (2 cups) fresh raspberries rinsed and drained or a 12 ounce package frozen (unsweetened) raspberries transferred to a bowl while frozen and allowed to thaw 
2 tablespoons honey or agavé nectar
2 tablespoons orange juice or 1 tablespoon orange liqueur (e.g. Triple Sec) + 1 tablespoon water
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon clear stevia extract liquid (start with less; add more only if needed)

1.    In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring raspberries, honey, stevia and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring a few times.
2.   Place a fine mesh strainer or sieve over a medium-size bowl. Pour the fruit mixture into the strainer and, using a flexible rubber spatula, press the pulp through the sieve.
3.    Press firmly, and periodically scrape the inside of the sieve clear of seeds, which can otherwise block the holes. Do not waste any of the precious pulp. Continue to press until you are left with just 1 or 2 heaping tablespoons of stiff, clumped-together seeds.
    Scrape the bottom of the strainer to get the pulp that sticks to it. Discard the seeds and skins at the top of the strainer.
4.    With a wire whisk or sturdy spoon, stir in the orange juice or liqueur and stevia. For a sweeter taste, add an additional 1/8 teaspoon stevia extract powder or 1/4 teaspoon stevia extract liquid.
5.    Refrigerate until ready to serve. Use within 1 week or freeze.

2 tablespoons: 37 calories, 8 grams carbohydrate, 0 grams fat, 0 milligrams sodium

Variations:

*    For a thicker sauce: Dissolve 2 tablespoon arrowroot in 2 tablespoons cool or cold water. Add this to the sauce, then simmer over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring to thicken.

*    Blackberry Sauce: Replace raspberries with blackberries in the master recipe above.

*    Boysenberry Sauce: Replace raspberries with boysenberries in the master recipe above.

Source: The Ice Dream Cookbook by Rachel Albert-Matesz © COPYRIGHT 2008
For more info or to order on line click here

Cherries: Good Food & Medicine

Food is Your Best Medicine
So many natural foods come packed with nutrients our bodies need to function optimally. Plant foods are some of nature’s most powerful and potent healing foods. Do you need encouragement to buy and eat a wider variety and larger volume of colorful fruits and vegetables at every meal? Most people do. Whether its from lack of planning, lack of shopping, washing, and prepping enough food ahead, lack of knowledge, or fresh ideas, most people are not eating enough fresh produce.

The super food of the week is cherries. Pick up a 3 pound bag for a single batch of the recipe below. Get two bags to make a double batch for the freezer, 3 bags if you want some for munching too.

Researchers have discovered compounds in this sweet and juicy fruit that can reduce the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, and premature aging, relieve the pain of arthritis, gout, and migraine headaches, reduce inflammation, ease symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, promote mental clarity, and improve sleep. You know what to have for a bed time snack.

So, eat a bowl of cherries and call me in the morning. Actually, you might want to eat a cup of cherries several times a week when they’re in season to reap the most benefits. I like to I add them to fruit salads, smoothies, fruit gels and kantens (healthy remakes of Jell-0 made from real fruit and juice with unflavored gelatin or agar agar, nothing artificial), dairy free Ice Dream, and sauces.

Life’s a bowl of cherry sauce
This sweet and delicious cherry sauce goes with so many things. You can serve it over dairy free ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt, or my homemade Ice Dream for dessert. I like to spoon it over sliced cantaloupe, honeydew, peaches or nectarines at breakfast time, topped with a sprinkle of shredded unsweetened coconut or chopped, toasted nuts. It would probably taste great served over gluten-free pancakes, waffles, cornbread, millet bread, angel food or sponge cake. Try it over poached chicken breast or roasted turkey breast.

Basil Ice Dream with Cherry Sauce & Cocoa Nibs >>>>>>>>

Make your own fruit flavored yogurt
Most fruit flavored yogurts, even the ones marketed for children, get 50 to 80% of their calories from sugar and  contain very little fruit. If you tolerate yogurt, stir my delicious Cherry Sauce (or the Peach Sauce from a previous post) into plain goat, cow, buffalo, or sheep milk  yogurt to make naturally-flavored yogurt without all of the empty calories.

What you need to make this recipe
Besides a colander, a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid, measuring cups and spoons, a rubber or silicone spatula, wide mouth jars or glass storage bowls with lids, an apron (cherry juice stains), you’ll need a cherry pitter. This little device will make easy work of extracting the pits. You can buy a stainless steel  one for $3 to $10 on my Amazon store, where I’ve listed the best picks.

Cherry Sauce          

Hands-on: 20 minutes/   Cooking: 25 minutes/ Yield: 3 ½ cups; 16 servings

For the best flavor use fresh cherries from your state, region, or bioregion. In a pinch, use frozen sweet cherries (they’re naturally sweet with no added sugar) sold in the freezer section of supermarkets and natural foods stores.

Note: If you want to freeze cherry sauce, portion it into widemouth canning jars, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches of space in the top of the jar.  Let it cool on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes, then refrigerate. Once the jar feels cold you can freeze it. To defrost, transfer to the refrigerator.

Ingredients:
3 pounds fresh sweet cherries (about 8 cups pitted fresh or 9 heaping cups frozen):
    Bing, Rainier, or Queen Anne variety
1/4 cup honey or agavé nectar; additional tablespoons as needed
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon unrefined, mineral-rich sea salt (Celtic, Lima, Eden, or Real Salt)
¼ to ½ teaspoon pure stevia extract powder or ½ to 1 teaspoon clear stevia extract liquid (start with less; add more only if needed) 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or orange juice
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder dissolved in
1/4 cup cool or cold filtered water

1.    If using fresh cherries, remove the stems. Rinse cherries and pat dry with paper towels. Working over a large bowl to catch the juices, cut each cherry in half with a paring knife; remove the pit with the tip of the knife and drop the cherries into the bowl. Or (better and safer), use a cherry pitter. Either way, use one hand to push out the pit, and place the other under each cherry, making sure you catch and discard one pit for every cherry.
    If using frozen cherries, pour into a bowl and allow to thaw, and then measure to make sure you have the right amount.
2.    Combine cherries, honey, and sea salt in a heavy 3- or 4-quart pot. Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Remove the lid and stir for 3 minutes until the syrup dissolves. Reduce heat to medium, uncover, and cook for 20 minutes or until the fruit breaks down and the mixture becomes slightly thick; stir frequently.
3.    Remove from heat. Process the mixture in a blender, Vita-Mix, or food processor fitted with a metal blade until mostly smooth (leave some chunks). Return the mixture to the pot. Add the stevia, lemon or orange juice, and arrowroot dissolved in water. For a sweeter taste, add an additional 1/8 teaspoon stevia and/or 1 tablespoon honey. Blend, taste, and repeat if needed. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring periodically. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer to thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4.    Store in wide mouth glass jars or bowls with lids. When cool, cover and refrigerate. When cold to the touch, freeze what you don’t plan to use within 3 or 4 weeks, leaving at least 1 inch of space at the top of the jar.
5.    Serve cold or at room temperature, or warm briefly in a small saucepan over low heat, or use the bowl-on-a-rack method (listed in The Ice Dream Cookbook).

1 serving (3 1/2 tablespoons): 91 calories, 1 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrate, 0.8 grams fat, 12 milligrams sodium

Source: The Ice Dream Cookbook by Rachel Albert-Matesz
© COPYRIGHT 2008
For more info or to order click here

Easy Apricot, Peach, or Nectarine Sauce

Perfect Peach Sauce      

Now that peaches are in season you may be wondering what to do with them besides eating them out of your hand or slicing then into fruit salad. I have the perfect recipe. It doesn’t take much hands-on time. It contains a fraction of the sugar found in most recipes and commercial sauces and it goes with so many different foods. It keeps well in the fridge or you can freeze it for future meals, snacks, or desserts.

Try it over your favorite frozen dessert, spooned over fresh blueberries, strawberries, or cubed honeydew melon, and sprinkled with shredded, unsweetened coconut or chopped toasted almonds or pecans, or over gluten-free whole grain pancakes or waffles. If you tolerate milk              products, mix it into plain goat, cow, or sheep’s milk yogurt to make a healthier version of store bought fruit yogurts, which rarely contain much fruit. (Did you know that commerical yogurts often get 60 to 80% of their calories from sugar?)                                              

If you’re looking for an ice cream alternative––until my Ice Dream cookbook comes out this fall––try Freezees Non-Dairy ice cream alternative made from cashew nuts. It’s sweetened with agavé nectar (a low glycemic sweetener made from cactus honey) and comes in five flavors. I tried the vanilla a couple of years ago and liked it. A couple of my cooking students have tried and liked Turtle Mountain's Purely Decadent Non Dairy Ice Cream alternative made from coconut milk, also sweetened with agavé nectar.

If you want to make extra sauce to share with friends, you can pour it into wide mouth pint-size canning jars. When cool, cover, and refrigerate.

Apricot Sauce         

Hands-on: 20 minutes /  Cooking: 30 minutes/ Yield: 3 1/2 cups; 16 servings

Look for fresh apricots grown in your state, region, or bioregion. If you can’t find them, substitute peaches or nectarines and cut them into quarters. You can serve this sauce slightly warm, chilled, or at room temperature.

Note: Make sure they are ripe before you start. If they feel hard when you buy them, allow them to ripen at room temperature in an open bowl. Place a ripe fruit next to them to speed up the process.

FYI: The inspiration for this recipe came from Cooking Light magazine. I changed the type of sweetener and simplified the preparation.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup
1/4 cup filtered water
3 pounds ripe apricots, halved and pitted (about 8 cups)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon clear stevia extract liquid (start with less; add more only if needed)

1.    Combine the honey, water, and apricots (or quartered peaches or nectarines) in a heavy 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Cover and bring to boil over high heat and stir for 3 minutes until the syrup dissolves. Reduce heat to medium. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, for 25 to 30 minutes or until the fruit breaks down and the mixture thickens.
2.    Remove from heat and add stevia. Purée the mixture in a blender, Vita-Mix, or food processor. For a sweeter taste, add an additional 1/8 teaspoon stevia extract powder or 1/4 teaspoon of stevia extract liquid. Repeat if needed.
3.   Transfer the sauce to wide mouth jars or Pyrex bowls with lids. If you plan to freeze, leave1 inch of space at the top of the jar below the rim. When cool, cover and   refrigerate. Freeze what you don’t plan to use within 3 weeks.
4.    Serve close to room temperature, or warm briefly in a small saucepan over low heat, or in a heatproof dish on top of a steamer rack over boiling water.

¼ cup (peach): 76 calories, 18 grams carbohydrate, 1 milligrams sodium

¼ cup (apricot): 81 calories, 1.2 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrate, 1 milligrams sodium

Variations:

*    Peach Sauce: Replace apricots with fresh peaches.

*    Nectarine Sauce: Replace apricots with fresh nectarines. Prepare with or without lavender.

Source: The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Dream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes and Sauces (Planetary Press, October, 2008)
© Copyright 2008 Rachel Albert-Matesz

To Pre-Order The Ice Dream Cookbook, Click here for order form. You'll receive the book before stores.

Hello Jello

If you love, or once loved, the giggly texture and sweet taste of Jell-O, you’re in for a treat. Forget the fluorescent green squares of mystery gel from the school cafeteria from your childhood days and the packaged products loaded with artificial flavorings and colorings and refined sugar or artificial sweeteners. I’ve got something better––a healthy and more delicious remake of the 1970s classic––made from three nourishing real food ingredients: 100 percent real fruit, fruit juice, and unflavored gelatin (agar agar if you’re vegetarian or vegan). 

This is one of my favorite desserts to make right about now (110 degree plus afternoons in sunny Phoenix, AZ). I love the cool refreshing feel of it in my mouth, that its easy to make, and it doesn’t require the oven, which I don’t like to use much when the temperatures go much over 100 here.  You can make it anytime but you'll appreciate it the most during warm or hot weather and probably find it utterly unappealing in cold weather.

Leftovers will keep for several days in the fridge. Serve it for breakfast with eggs and vegetables, in a pack lunch, after dinner, or for a snack. Take it to a potluck or party. You can make it plain or fancy. Chill it in a ring mold, a bundt cake pan, a shallow bowl, custard cups, 4- to 6-ounce wide mouth jars, or any vessel that would make an attractive shape unmolded or a handy transporter when you want you gel to-go or pour it into a square pan, then cut it into slices. Kids enjoy eating this with their hands.

Thanks to Stacy Maxwel, one of my cooking students, who helping me tweak this and make it look ever so pretty in the ring molds. She took the gorgeous pictures of this recipe she perfected for her final project in my 5-week Whole Foods Cuisine course.

I usually use Great Lakes brand gelatin, sold in natural foods stores, but you can use Knox unflavored gelatin from a supermarket. They both work equally well. If you’re cooking for vegetarians or vegans, replace unflavored gelatin with agar agar powder (not the flakes); you’ll probably need to special order it from a natural foods store (ask for NOW Foods brand) or contact Fruitful Yield (800) 469-5552 or <www.fruitful yield.com>

FYI: Enzymes in pineapple, papaya, and kiwi may prevent gelatin from setting unless you cook them or immediately immerse them in the hot juice. 

Fresh & Fruity Finger Gel (Jello)             

Hands on: 15 to 20 minutes/ Cooking: 5 minutes/ Yield: 8 to 10 servings 

Ingredients:       
2 cups cold fruit juice: apple, peach, pear, apple-berry, cherry or white grape juice
2 cups fruit juice heated to boiling (same variety as above)
4 envelopes Knox gelatin or 3 tablespspoons unflavored gelatin
2 to 4 cups fresh fruit (1 fruit or combination of 2 to 3 varieties):
    Blueberries, raspberries, mulberries, pitted sweet cherries, sliced strawberries, banana, melon balls, seedless red or green grapes, pitted, peeled, and sliced apricots, peaches, nectarines, peeled and sectioned seedless oranges, or some combination
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, optional
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon, lime, or orange, zest (colored part only), optional

1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds, walnuts, or pecans for garnish, optional

1.    Pour 2 cup of cold juice into a shallow bowl or heat-proof 4-cup measure. Sprinkle with gelatin and let stand 1 or 2 minutes. 
2.    Bring the remaining 2 cups of juice to boil in a medium-size saucepan. Pour the boiling juice over the cold mixture and stir until gelatin completely dissolves. Add the optional vanilla and citrus zest if desired.
3.    Have a 5 1/2 cup ring mold, Jello-type mold, shallow bowl, custard cups, wine glasses, or 8 to 10 (6-ounce) bowls handy. Pour the juice into the mold(s), then add the fruit.
    To keep the fruit firmer, wait to add it until the juice feels cool to the touch.
    To suspend the fruit in layers, line the pan with 1/2 of the sliced fruit, then add just enough of gelatin-juice mixture to cover.  Freeze until firm being careful not to leave it in there too long or it will form ice crystals. If time isn't an issue, let it set up in the fridge. Once set, add the rest of the fruit, reserving several strawberry slices or berries for garnish, then pour in the remaining gelatin-juice mixture. If you like, arrange reserved strawberry slices or other fruit in a sunburst pattern on the top (which is really the bottom) and dunk them a bit so they are coated in gelatin.
4.    Refrigerate until firm (about 3 hours). If you’re in a rush you can freeze the mold for an hour and then finish it off in the refrigerator. 
5.    To unmold (skip this step if you chilled it in custard cups, wine glasses, or small jars), have your serving plate ready. Moisten it so you can slide the unmolded gelatin around if necessary. Add warm water to a wide shallow pan (a skillet is great for this) and dip the mold in for 10 seconds to loosen the contents. Remove the mold carefully and place it on a towel to catch the water - quickly turn your serving plate onto the mold. Carefully reverse the entire contraption and the gelatin should slip out. Soak up the gelatin drips with a paper towel quickly before it sets in a blob. 
6.    Garnish with chopped nuts if desired, and serve. Use within 5 days.

1 serving (blueberry-apricot) without nuts: 110 calories, 3 g protein, 25 g carbohydrate (2 g fiber), 1 g fat, 15 mg calcium, 5 mg sodium

1 serving (peach) without nuts: 103 calories, 2 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate (1 g fiber), 13 mg calcium, 4 mg sodium

Variations:

*    For a softer Jello: In step #1, reduce gelatin to 2 Tablespoons above. In step #2, dissolve 1 tablespoon of arrowroot or organic cornstarch into the cold juice before heating. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 or 2 minutes, until clear.

*    For a Vegetarian or Vegan Jello: Replace unflavored gelatin with 1/4 agar agar flakes or 2 teaspoons agar agar powder. After boiling, reduce heat and simmer agar agar flakes for 5 to 10 minutes or agar agar agar powder for 1 minute, to dissolve. For a firmer Finger Jello, use 1/3 cup agar agar flakes or 1 tablspoon agar agar powder.

SOURCE: This is a remake of  recipe from my award-winning book, The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook (Planetary Press, 2004), which you can order from this site or from http://www.TheGardenOfEatingDiet.com/