Almond, Coconut, Chocolate Popsicles and Homemade Peanut Butter Cups (Flashback Friday)

Today's post is a flashback to last summer. Can you believe that last summer I made things other than just ice cream and fro yo? It's true (if you missed two of my favorite creations from this summer, here you go; Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Basil and Coconut Ice Cream). I was looking through my recipes and photos from last year and rather than letting them go to waste, I thought I'd share two of my favorites with you today.  Starting with, Clean Eating Popsicles (after all, it's been hot hear in Columbus lately.  Since I now work on a campus where I am walking outside a lot of the day, I have been craving popsicles, and really anything that is cold!).

Almond, Chocolate, Coconut Popsicles

Makes 4 popsicles

Modified from a Clean Eating Magazine recipe

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes 

2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 packet non-calorie sweetener of your choice

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender.

2.  Add to prepared popsicle molds.

3.  Freeze according to the popsicle mold directions.

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1 popsicle

Next up we have homemade Reece's Peanut Butter cups.  Since college football season is right around the corner (literally) and I'm a huge OSU Buckeye fan (huge) I thought I'd get in the spirit by sharing this recipe that combines two of the best ingredients; chocolate and peanut butter (you know, like a Buckeye candy).  I made these last year for the first time, but have experimented with them more over the past couple weeks.   I found the recipe on Averie's blog, and made just a couple tiny modifications, and ended up with these pieces of heaven.

Vegan Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Makes: 4
Source

Ingredients

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (dairy-free)

2 Tablespoons crunchy Peanut Butter (or almond butter!)

1.5  Tbsp. Nutritional Yeast

Directions

1.  In a microwave-safe bowl melt the chocolate and spoon a thin chocolate layer of the chocolate into either a) small muffin/cupcake liners, or b) a small plastic cup, such as one you might get from a restaurant, filled with dressing to-go.

2.  Allow chocolate to cool in the liners. While  cooling, prepare the peanut butter and nutritional yeast mixture by stirring them together in a small bowl (you may have to zap the peanut butter in the microwave to get it soft, if you leave your peanut butter in the fridge like we do!).  

3.  Spoon ~1/6th of the mixture on top of each cooled chocolate base layer. Add the top layer of melted chocolate over the top of the peanut butter/nutritional yeast.  Tap the cups on the counter to get the chocolate evenly spread out on the cups.

**  Add less chocolate to each layer if you want to make them lighter, and/or if you want to make more with each batch **

3.  Allow cups to set up fully before eating, at least 30 minutes in the freezer.

I tapped my cups on the counter to get them to set. 

**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPS diet you will be happy to know that both of these recipes are low FODMAPs!  Coconut does contain some FODMAPs, but the small amount in this recipe shouldn't pose any problems.

Sometimes I want more chocolate.....

Other times I want more peanut butter!

Estimated nutrition facts for 1/4th of recipe
Source: CalorieCount.com

I never said they were light or anything...  :)  But hey, they beat paying $5 a bag for the real things, and they are made with dark chocolate, so how bad can they be?!  haha.  Oh yeah, and 3 grams of protein?  That's thanks to the nutritional yeast.  yum yum.

Be careful, it's difficult to eat just one.  My advice? Just take out one at a time, then hide the rest.  Make sure to savor every delicious bite so you are left satisfied and happy.

QUESTION:  What's your favorite candy of all time?  For me, it's Reece's. Hands down (followed by Snickers).  Can you tell I'm already getting into the Halloween spirit?!

Happy Friday everyone. Any fun plans for the weekend?  I'm actually planning on sitting around and doing nothing, because this is my first two days off in eight days.  So actually, that's not true, I will be doing a lot because I'm behind on my never-ending "to-do" list, but I'll be doing plenty of relaxing and kicking-back in between.  Make sense? Good.

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Clean Eating's Egg 'n' Baked Potatoes (Almost Meatless Monday)

I'm cheating today, "Meatless Monday", I used bacon.  But hey, if you want to go meatless, omit the bacon (although I'll tell you what, the bacon really added something special to the flavor of these potatoes!  Perhaps you could use the tofu bacon....yeah?).  I did use turkey bacon, so technically these were "meatless", just not...animal free.  You know.




When I made these last week I realized it had really been a while since I had enjoyed a good potato. I really think the last time I actually ate a potato (other than french fries, every so often) was last year on a road trip when we stopped at Wendy's (I always get the potato and chili).  No, no, I'm wrong, the last time I had a potato was when Nick made me a delicious fish dinner on my 30th birthday.  Yes, he made petite potatoes with olive oil and rosemary.  How could I forget?!  Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I always forget about potatoes. They get such a bad rap, but they can really be a great addition to, or main part of a meal (and they are cheap).  We tend to forget that while they may have a lot of carbs (oh no, carbs!) they also have a good source of vitamin C, iron, fiber and calcium.

Clean Eating's Egg 'n' Baked Potatoes

Serves 4

Modified slightly from a June 2013 Clean Eating Magazine recipe

Ingredients

Olive Oil cooking spray

4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed

4 slices all-natural turkey bacon (no nitrates or nitrates added)

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion **

2 cloves garlic **

6 lightly packed cups baby spinach

1/4 tsp each sea salt and ground pepper

4 large eggs

1/4 cup grated reduced-fat cheddar cheese **

1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt **

2 Tbsp. chopped chives

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray.  Prick potatoes with a form and transfer to tray.  Bake for 50 minutes, turning once, until tender.  Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

2.  Meanwhile, mist a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-low.  Add bacon and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.  When cool enough to handle, chop into small pieces.

3.  To skillet on medium-low, add onion and garlic (if using) and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened.  Add spinach and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until wilted.  Remove from heat.

4.  If needed, cut a thin slice from long side of each potato so they sit flat on sheet.  Cut an oval into the top of each potato and scoop out flesh using a spoon or a melon baller, leaving a ~1/4-inch thick shell.  Reserve potato flesh for future use (see my recipe on Thursday!)

5.  Sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper.  Divide spinach mixture and bacon evenly among potatoes. Carefully crack 1 egg into each potato and top with cheese, dividing evenly.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, to desired doneness of egg (I kept mine a bit runny).  In a small bowl mix the yogurt and chives and serve with potatoes.

**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet omit the garlic and onion (I made mine without these ingredients and they were still spectacular.  The chives added a slight oniony flavor, which was nice).

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1 potato
Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  Under 350 calories, excellent source of protein, iron, vitamin C and vitamin A.  Good source of calcium.  And of course, not listed, potatoes are a good source of blood pressure-lowering potassium.

As you can see my eggs almost escaped the potato.  But alas, they stayed in!

And I kept my egg nice and runny.  With the chives and yogurt sauce, this was absolutely perfect.  Oh yeah, and the bacon.  I loved that part too, of course.

So, what do you do with the leftover potato filling?  You'll have to wait until Thursday to find out.  I may have made something sweet.....

QUESTION:  When was the last time you ate a potato??

And I'll leave you with this to drool over......homemade graham crackers served with a chocolate mouse and toasted marshmallows.  This was our dessert when we went out to dinner this weekend with my uncle and his friend Larry.  To die for.

I hope everyone has a great Monday!  

The Candid Rd

Clean Eating's Chicken Pizza with Mushrooms and Arugula

I'm reading a book called Taste What You're Missing; The Passionate Eater's Guide to Why Food Tastes So Good.  The book is long, and I'm probably only 1/4th of the way into it, but I've already learned so much.  I'll dedicate an entire post on it one of these days, because it's that good, and fascinating.  I've come to the conclusion that I am slightly addicted to one taste; umami, or "savory" (if you love mushrooms and nutritional yeast, you may be too).  Here I thought it might be sweet or even bitter tastes I loved most (I enjoy bitter pale ales, very much, and I could literally eat buttercream frosting all day long) but no, it's umami.  This pizza recipe called for two sources umami; parmesan and crimini mushrooms.  I sometimes find Clean Eating Magazine's recipes to be too "clean" for my liking, so I jazz them up a bit (yes, it's true, sometimes they are too bland for me, what can I say?!). In this case I added more umami taste to enhance the flavor, in the form of extra mushrooms (that's clean....right?) and parmesan (ok, more cheese probably isn't the most healthy idea, but to be fair this recipe called for 1 Tablespoon, ONE TBSP!!! Yes, you read that right. That's absurd. Who wouldn't add more?!)

Chicken Pizza with Mushrooms and Arugula

Source: Clean Eating Magazine

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Olive oil cooking spray

2 bone-in skinless chicken breasts

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

2 tsp. olive oil

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced **

2 cloves garlic, chopped **

12 oz. frozen (or fresh) whole wheat pizza dough, thawed **

2 cups arugula

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp. dried oregano

Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mist a large baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place chicken on sheet and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Bake until cooked through, 25-30 minutes; set aside to cool.

2.  Keep oven at 400 degrees.  In a large skillet heat olive oil on medium high heat.  Add mushrooms, and garlic cloves and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are softened and start releasing liquid; set aside.

3.  With a rolling pin, pizza dough into 1/2-inch thick circle or rectangle.  Coat a separate large baking sheet with cooking spray and transfer dough to sheet. With a fork, shred shicken meat from bone into 2-inch pieces.  Top dough with 2 cups arugula, chicken, mushroom-garlic mixture and parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle with oregano and season with fresh ground pepper, to taste.  Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until edges are golden brown.

**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet you may want to omit the mushrooms and replace them with another lower FODMAPs vegetable, such as green or red pepper.  Also, use a gluten free pizza crust (although some people may be able to tolerate 1 small piece of whole wheat crust).

Still not very cheesy, but yet this pizza was fantastic.

Full of umami, savory, goodness.

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/4th of pizza
Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  Under 350 calories, good source of calcium and fiber, excellent source of protein.

QUESTION:  Tell me, what's your favorite pizza topping?  Other than mushrooms (which I can't eat in endless amounts, sadly) I would say green and black olives are my favorite pizza toppings. Oh, and tomatoes. Is that weird?


What are your plans for the Fourth of July?  My parents are having a party, of sorts, so of course Nick and I are going to be crashing it.  Why not, right?  They live really close to the local fireworks so we'll get to walk down the road and watch the beauty in the sky.  I just hope it doesn't rain all day. That would be a serious bummmmmmmmer.  Happy Birthday America!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Summer Turkey Burgers; Martha Stewart's Pesto Burgers and Clean Eating's Mediterranean Burgers

Every once in a while Nick and I are in the mood for a juicy burger (ok, I'll be honest, if I could eat a burger every day and it was healthy, I'd do it, in a heart beat).  I do prefer beef burgers, but for less saturated fat and cholesterol (if you buy the extra lean breast meat) turkey burgers can be incredibly satisfying.  And since it's grilling season you might be interested in the fact that poultry has less heme iron, which may be beneficial when it comes to nitrites and nitrates (apparently the heme iron interacts with nitrates and nitrites, even those found naturally in our food, to produce carcinogens....who knew!?  And, poultry produces less carcinogenic HCAs, which you can read more about here).

The key to a good turkey burger is to make sure it stays juicy.  You see, when you make a beef burger you can eat it medium or even medium-rare, and unless your immune-system is slightly compromised, you aren't really putting yourself at risk for food-borne illness.  With poultry burgers, the story is a bit different, you have to cook it all the way to 165 degrees.  That's what makes creating a juicy turkey burger very difficult.  The meat is already pretty lean with very little fat, especially if you are using the white meat, and then you have to cook it all the way and that can often mean dryness. Blah.

I've got some tricks up my sleeve for how to create a juicier turkey burger, do you?  I like to add ground flaxseed or smashed avocado to my turkey burgers (I add these when the turkey is raw, before I form the patties).  This adds some good fat to make the burgers moist (and when I say "good fat" I don't just mean good for you, I mean tasty!).  This recipe below uses pesto with olive oil and other great flavors to add juiciness and moisture.

Mmmmm.....PESTO!

Pesto Turkey Burgers

Serves: 4

Total Time: ~25 minutes

Modified from a recipe found on MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1 cup baby spinach

1 clove garlic **

1/4 cup walnuts

4 Tbsp. Olive Oil (plus more for the grill)

Course salt and pepper

1 pound ground white turkey breast meat

2 large tomatoes, sliced

3 ounces fresh mozzarella

8 pieces hearty whole grain bread **

** NOTE: If you are following a low FODMAPs diet, omit the garlic clove and use garlic-infused olive oil to impart the garlic flavor.  Also look for a gluten-free bread to use with the burgers.

Directions

1.  In a food processor puree the basil, spinach, garlic, walnuts, oil, and 1 Tbsp. water.  Season pesto with salt and pepper (I only added pepper).

2.  Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.  Combine 1 Tbsp. pesto, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper, and turkey and form into 4 patties.  Clean and lightly oil grill.  Brush tomatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper (I just used pepper).  Grill patties, covered , 4 minutes.  Flip patties and top with cheese.  Add tomatoes to grill and cook, flipping once, until tomatoes are lightly charred and burgers are opaque throughout, 4 minutes.

3.  Assemble sandwiches on bread with pesto, burgers, and tomatoes.

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1 burger, with bread
Source: CalorieCount.com

Instagam!  Look at those grill marks.  Beautious, no??

Nutrition Highlights: Excellent source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and calcium

In the words of Chef Ramsey "this turkey burger is cooked PERFECTLY!"

Have you ever sent your husband or loved one to the store for groceries, only for them to come back with the wrong thing?  I asked Nick to buy "Extra Lean Turkey Meat", and he made the mistake than many people do; he assumed that all turkey meat is extra lean and that it's all the same. This simply isn't true.  Some of the turkey meat uses different parts of the animal, such as the thigh, and therefore it contains more fat and calories.  There's nothing wrong with it, but I prefer a leaner ground turkey burger because I don't really notice a big enough difference in the taste to warrant such a jump in calories and fat.  So, Nick brought home the wrong turkey meat and I ended up making burgers that were half lean and half extra lean ground turkey. Check out how ugly it is!

So this is what your burgers will look like if you use half lean and half extra lean turkey meat.  Not pretty, but, still delicious.  And let's be honest, that's all that matters, right?  Check out the recipe below.

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

(Serves 4)

Source: Clean Eating Magazine (last summer's issue)

Ingredients

1 large red bell pepper

Olive oil cooking spray

1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

2 cups loosely packed spinach

2 ounces low-fat feta cheese

2 tsp. hot sauce **

12-ounces lean ground turkey (look for 1.5-4 grams fat per serving)

1 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 4 1/4-inch thick pieces

4 medium portobello mushroom caps , quartered **

4 whole-wheat rolls **

** NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet be aware that most hot sauce contains garlic and/or onion.  You may want to omit this from the recipe, or just use less.  Also, portobello mushrooms contain polyols, so you may not want to eat these (or just have a very small amount).  Lastly, look for gluten-free buns, and be careful if you're lactose intolerant, as the feta and yogurt might upset your stomach, but most people will be able to handle the small amount of lactose in this recipe.

Instructions

1)  Preheat broiler. Mist pepper with cooking spray. Place pepper directly on rack or baking sheet in oven. Broil 10 minutes per side.

2)  Meanwhile, in a food processor, place yogurt, spinach, feta and hot sauce and puree on high for 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy (THIS SAUCE WAS FANTASTIC!!!). Set aside.

3)  Remove pepper from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel, seed and squarter.

4)  Divide turkey patties, zucchini and mushrooms among 2 separate baking sheets.  Spray the vegetables with olive oil (use garlic olive oil for more flavor!) and broil for 10 minutes, until patties are cooked through and vegetables are tender.  To serve, spread 1 Tsbp. spinach mixture onto each half of the whole wheat buns, add 1 patty, 2 slices succhini, 1 piece pepper, quarter of mushrooms, and serve!

Nutrition Facts for 1 burger, with bun and veggies
Source: CalorieCount.com

QUESTION:  What's your favorite type of protein to use for burgers?? I'd like to start experimenting with bison soon.

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Clean Eating's Peanut Chicken in Foil Packets

The June, 2013 issue of Cleaning Eating Magazine was filled with foil-packet recipes for the grill, in addition to some amazing burger recipes (which I found ironic, because apparently it's May that is National Burger month...did you know that?), which I'll be posting soon.  One day a couple weeks ago my parents came over for dinner and it was perfect because Nick and I had a meal already planned; Peanut Chicken in Foil PAckets and Strawberry Coconut Crisp (also in foil packets, recipe coming soon).  I'll be honest, I was slightly hesitant at first, serving my dad a Clean Eating Magazine recipe...he's very honest with his opinions on how things taste (I guess you could call him "The Candid Father of RD", haha, that was lame.)  Anyway......I was afraid he wouldn't like the meal.

To my surprise, both my dad and Nick both devoured their foil packets, as did my mom and I.  Did you know that grilling in foil actually helps reduce the amount of hertocyclic aminds (HCAs) that are formed?  In case you were wondering, that's a really good thing. HCAs are linked to cancer and they form when proteins (especially red meats) are cooked to really high temperatures and especially when cooked using direct heat.  By cooking our protein in foil we reduce the HCAs that are generated because we are not using direct heat and there is less change for the protein to char. When the drippings from your proteins drip into the flame and then come back up into the food that's just not good.  Also, simply marinating your proteins and switching to poultry (and especially fish) can reduce the HCAs.  I just thought since it's grilling season you may want to know that.  So now, without further ado...

Peanut Chicken in Foil Packets

Source: Clean Eating Magazine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1/4th cup unsalted natural creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup light coconut milk (I used almond/coconut milk)

2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus additional for garnish

1 Tbsp. honey ** (I used maple syrup)

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger

1 tsp. reduced sodium soy sauce

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, mined **

Olive oil cooking spray

12 oz. green beans, trimmed

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into similar-sized 1/2-inch chunks ** 

1 red or white onion, sliced into 1/4-inch slices **

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions

1.  Preheat grill to medium-high or preheat oven to 450.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, milk, vinegar, 2 Tbsp. cilantro, honey (or maple syrup), lime juice, ginger, soy sauce, pepper flakes, and garlic.

3.  Cut 4 12x16-inch pieces of foil and mist with cooking spray.  Divide green beans, potatoes and onion evenly into the center of each piece of foil.  Divide chicken and peanut butter mixture between foil pieces, over top of vegetables.  Bring the short edges of the foil together, then fold inward a few times along each long edges to seal.

4.  Place foil packets directly on the grill or on a large, rimmed baking sheet in the oven.  Grill or bake for 25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.  Transfer contents of packets (make sure to open the packets slowly, as the steam can be very hot!) to serving bowls and garnish with additional cilantro.

**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet this is the perfect recipe because you can modify your own packet according to your personal needs (but prepare everyone else's packet according to the recipe).    Be sure to replace the honey with maple syrup, omit the garlic (and add some garlic-infused oil if you still want the flavor, but I didn't do this and it was still amazing) and omit the onion from your packet as well.  Also, keep in mind sweet potatoes contain FODMAPs, but most people can handle them in amounts of 1/4th-1/2 cup per sitting.

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1-serving (1 foil packet)
Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  Low sodium, excellent source of fiber, and vitamins A and C.

See how I put a "G" on my packet? Yeah, that was a lower FODMAPs packet ;)

Put all the ingredients in a foil packet, and leave the cooking and cleaning to the foil and grill!

INSTAGRAM!
The Candid RD

This can be serve over rice, or with some more vegetables.  We chose the latter.  It didn't really need any more starch, so we were all content with some more vegetables and spinach salad on the side (the vegetables we served were roasted parsnips that my mom brought over, which are actually slightly starchy, but delicious).

There is just something about the combination of peanut butter, soy sauce, and chicken that makes my taste buds jump for joy! Apparently the same is true for my family.  And I bet you'll love this recipe too.

Any fun weekend plans? I can't believe it but I have today and tomorrow off from work.  JOY!  I do have a laundry list of things to do, but it's nice just being away from work for a while (it's rare that I ever get two days off in a row, so I'm excited!).

Thanks for reading.

The Candid Rd

Strawberry Coconut Crisp (Clean Eating Recipe, in Foil Packets on the Grill!)

When Nick and I had my parents over last week I was really excited to make this recipe.  As I was explaining the recipe to my mom and dad I quickly realized, "Oh shoot, my dad hates coconut!".  Oh well, good thing I had some ice cream in the freezer for him to have instead.  And it worked out because while my dad hates coconut, but husband loves it, which meant more dessert for him (he's so lucky, isn't he?!).

Strawberry Coconut Crisp

Modified Slightly from a recipe in Clean Eating Magazine, June 2013

Serves 6

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

6 Tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut **

1/4 cup finely chopped raw unsalted walnuts

3 Tbsp. sugar, divided

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1.5 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted

1.5 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

4.5 cups strawberries, stemmed and quarters 

3 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. arrowroot starch (or corn starch)

Directions

1.  Preheat grill to medium or preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut 6 12x14-inch pieces of foil and mist with cooking spray.

2.  To a small bowl add oats, coconut, walnuts, 2 Tbsp. sugar and cinnamon.  Stir to combine.  Drizzle in oil and maple syrup and mix until crumbly texture.  Set aside.

3.  In a large bowl, combine strawberries, remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar, lemon juice and arrowroot (or corn starch).  Toss to combine.  Divide strawberry mixture evenly into the center of the foil pieces and top each with oat mixture, dividing evenly.  Bring short edges of foil together.  Fold inward a few times along each long edge to seal.  Place packets directly on grill or on a large, rimmed baking sheet in oven.  Grill or bake for 15 minutes.  Carefully open packets and transfer contents to serving bowls.  Serve alone or with a little ice cream ;)

*Note: If you follow a low FODMAPs diet be aware that coconut is not low FODMAPs.  I seemed to handle the small amount used in this recipe (~ 1 Tbsp. per serving) but everyone is different so just be warned.

All ingredients, added to the foil, per-grill

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1-serving
Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  Ok, this is pushing it a bit but this recipe is a good source of fiber and an excellent source of vitamin C.  For a dessert, that's pretty stellar.  Right?!


We put the beautiful combination of flavors right on the grill and covered it with foil.  No, we couldn't smell the cinnamon and coconut  as we waited patiently on the back porch....we could only imagine the flavors cooking and coming together to make a delicious dessert for our taste buds.  That's the one bad thing about eating outdoors, unless you're doing BBQ on the grill, it's hard to smell what's cooking!  Especially when it's wrapped in foil....

15 minutes later, we had dessert.  I quickly took a picture before we all dived into our foil-wrapped sugar and fruit creations.  That is, all except for my dad.  Poor coconut-hater.  Too bad for him.

Today is Memorial Day and if you've been trying to decide what to have for dessert at your outdoor holiday gathering, well, you're welcome.  Add some blueberries in here if you want to be really patriotic (Red, White, and Blue.....perfect!).  Anyone else have to work today?  Yeah, boo hoo for me.  The good news is my mom and dad offered to make dinner tonight.  Grilled chicken and bratwurst on the grill.  Score!!

QUESTION:  What about you? Do you like coconut?  It's one of those foods I used to hate as a child, but I've grown to love.  I know it's not low FODMAPs, but I seem to be able to handle it in small amounts at a time.

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd