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 No-Bake Zucchini Lasagna (Gluten Free and Vegan)

When I first saw this recipe for zucchini lasagna in the March 2013 issue of Clean Eating Magazine, I thought it was....well.... cooked. After all, why would it be raw? That just didn't make sense to me.  I quickly scanned the recipe and noticed there was zero heat involved.....and indeed it was a raw lasagna (well, not all the ingredients are technically "raw", I suppose, ex: the nutritional yeast).  I showed Nick the recipe and he cringed.  That's fine, he's pretty great at trying most of the things I make, but this recipe just wasn't calling his name (plus anything with nutritional yeast in it is an automatic "no, no" for him).  I'm typically a fan of eating things really hot so to be honest I was hesitant about this recipe for a while myself, but let me tell you, I am so glad I ended up making it.  It was amazing!

No-Bake Zucchini Lasagna 

Vegan, Gluten-Free

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup salted cashews **

1 clove garlic, chopped **

1/8 cup fresh lemon juice

1.5 cups cherry or grape tomatoes

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Medjool date, pitted **

1/2 tsp ground oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. dried rosemary

3 to 4 zucchini, trimmed, halved crosswise and thinly sliced lengthwise

2 to 3 beefsteak tomatoes, thinly sliced widthwise

1/4 cup pitted black olives

2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

Directions

1.  Prepare the "cheese" first.  In a small food processor or powerful blender combine the cashews, garlic and salt; process into a fine powder.  Add the lemon juice and 1/8 cup water to process until thick and creamy (**Note, if you use peanuts this may not blend quite as well.  My "cheese" was a bit chunky, but still very tasty when eaten together with the rest of the ingredients in this recipe!)

2.  Prepare the sauce in a blender by combining all the sauce ingredients; tomatoes, EVOO, date, oregano, salt and rosemary.

3.  Just before serving, arrange the lasagna on individual serving plates: Spread half of the zucchini over bottom, followed by half the tomatoes, "cheese", sauce and olives.  Repeat with remaining half ingredients, dividing evenly.  Sprinkle nutritional yeast over each serving. Enjoy!

**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPS use peanuts instead of cashews, and use garlic or tuscan-infused olive oil instead of plain olive oil (and omit the garlic).  Also, keep in mind that dates contain FODMAPs, but the one date in this recipe shouldn't cause any problems.

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

Nutrition Highlights:  Good source of fiber, protein, and vitamin A, excellent source of vitamin C and iron.

I'm sure you're wondering how the heck I cut into this bad boy.

With a sharp knife, and fork, of course.

And yes, it was messy. Juices flowing everywhere.

But the flavor?  It was worth every messy bite.

Maybe this whole raw thing isn't so bad after all.

QUESTION:  Have you ever had an uncooked lasagna (or any other food that is typically eaten cooked/hot)?

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Cashew, Lentil and Brown Rice-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

We have a chef who often comes into the supermarket where I work and demos delicious vegetarian cuisine for the customers.  I sometimes get to be a part of the demos, but other times I just enjoy watching and learning (and eating of course).  Last month Chef Bryan (see below) came in to make a dish that I just had to try.  I knew it was far from FODMAPs-friendly, but I was hoping it could be a new recipe for me to share with my portobello-loving husband, Nick.

I only snapped two photos, since, well....it was a demo and I wasn't a part of it (I didn't want to be rude, seeing as though it was a demo and all).

Not the best photo, but trust me, they were tasty and blog-worthy!

At the end of the demo there happened to be one more mushroom leftover.  I asked Bryan what on Earth he was going to do with it.  He saw that twinkle in my eye and he knew I wanted to bring it home.  So he let me.  When I got home I zapped it in the microwave and gave it to Nick for dinner. I was slightly timid and nervous as I handed him the plate.....

"What is this?", He asked

"Oh it's a delicious portobello mushroom with rice and beans and your favorite, cashews!!"; I said, with an emphasize on the two ingredients I was hoping would win him over; portobello and cashews.

"Oh, ok", he replied, with a nervous look on his face.

After the first bite....

Take note: the dish was not so pretty after carrying it home and zapping it in the microwave, so....I could see why he was slightly uninterested.  Plus, Nick knows I like to feed him "unique" foods ;)

"It's TASTY!", He said.

Oh, thank goodness.  I will have to make this again.

Cashew, Lentil and Brown Rice-Stuffed Portobellos

Serves 6

Ingredients
1 large yellow onion, chopped into small chunks**
1 cup cashews, cut in half **
1.5 Tbsp EVOO**
6 cloves garlic**
1 cup brown rice, cooked
~ 1.5 cups cooked lentils (or 1 can)
4 Tbsp. whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp. basil
1 Tbsp. thyme leaves
6 portobello mushroom caps, washed and stems removed **
1 large, fresh red tomato, sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (if needed)

Directions

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a large skillet saute the onion and the cashews with 1.5 Tbsp. EVOO until onions are soft and slightly brown.  You can add a dash of sea salt and pepper if you'd like.

2.  Stir in garlic and allow to cook for a few more minutes

3.  In a large bowl mix together onion mixture, brown rice, lentils, vegetable broth, bread crumbs, thyme and basil.  Stir well to combine, and season with salt and pepper if you'd like (this step can be done a couple days in advance if you are planning a party! Be sure to store it covered in a refrigerator.)

4.  Brush both sides of each portobello cap and place top side down on a greased baking sheet.

5.  Stuff the caps with the rice mixture and top each cap with a slice of the tomato.

6.  Bake 25-30 minutes, or until the stuffing is browned and the caps begin releasing some juices.

7.  Serve warm.

**NOTE:  This is not a low FODMAPs recipe.  However, if you are like me and you can handle a small amount of beans (with a Beano enzyme tablet of course) and one portobello mushroom cap, then I would modify this recipe by omitting the garlic and using garlic-infused EVOO instead (for the flavor!).  Also, cut the onion into large chunks so they can easily be avoided (although they still might cause problems if you are really sensitive). Oh yeah, and cashews aren't low FODMAPs either.  Darn those oligosaccharides!

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1 serving, without added salt

Nutrition Highlights:  Under 500 calories, low sodium (if you don't add extra salt to taste), excellent source of fiber (beyond excellent!), and excellent source of protein and iron, good source of vitamin C.

QUESTION:  What's one food that you can't believe that your significant other, or other members of your family, really enjoy??  For me it's portobello mushrooms, like I said above. Nick begs for them.  It's wonderful!  Too bad I can only eat barely a half before I get bloated. 

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Banana Split Oats (A Clean Eating Recipe)

Do you eat breakfast?  Of course you do, it's the most important meal of the day.  Right?  Ummmm....maybe not?  I mean, I know I eat breakfast, every single day, but I'll tell you right now it's not within the first hour of waking up in the morning.  I typically do my workout first thing in the morning, then I eat breakfast.  But I'm lucky, because I have the time to workout in the morning and then make a nice breakfast (but just so you know, I wake up at the crack of dawn so I do have the time to do those things in the morning!).

Does your breakfast include several different ingredients?

It doesn't have to.  I once had a client tell me that he "didn't have time for breakfast", and that all he ever eats in the morning before work is a piece of toast with peanut butter.  Um, hello, that's breakfast!  It doesn't have to be a gourmet meal, or even a meal at all, as long as it's something that will "break the fast".  A piece of toast and peanut butter is just fine.  But, if you have the extra time, why not get creative with your breakfast?!


I've tried many different oatmeal combinations in my time.  I love oatmeal, but lately I've been doing my Greek yogurt, granola, and blueberry combination, and leaving the oatmeal creations for Nick.  Here are some of my new and old favorite oatmeal creations (both for Nick and myself)....

Oatmeal, unsweetened almond milk, dark chocolate peanut butter, bananas, dry-roasted almonds

Oatmeal, pumpkin butter, and apples (I was very jealous as Nick ate this.....it's loaded with FODMAPs!)

One of my old favorite combinations (as in, I was addicted to this for two years.....); oatmeal, pumpkin puree, and peanut butter

Another addiction I used to have; Oatmeal, flavored Greek yogurt, almond butter, and cooked sweet potato.  Yes, it's true, I used to eat this all the time.  It is fantastic. I swear.

Anyway, after my addiction to oatmeal was over (I'm sure it will be back one day) and I handed it over to Nick, I thought I needed to come up with some new ideas so Nick could see that I haven't lost my talent for taking oatmeal to "the next level".  As I perused my latest issue of Clean Eating Magazine I was happy to find this recipe for Banana Split Oatmeal.  

Banana Split Oatmeal

Slightly modified from a Clean Eating Magazine recipe

Serves 1

Can be gluten free

Can be Vegan

Can be lower FODMAPs

Ingredients

1/2 cup Old-Fashioned rolled oats**

1-cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/8 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup canned diced pineapple, in light syrup, rinsed

1/4 cup sliced strawberries, organic if possible

1/4 banana, diced

1/2 ounce dark chocolate, finely chopped **

1 Tbsp raw walnut pieces

OPTIONAL:  Vanilla protein powder

Directions

Follow the directions on the oat container to make the oatmeal (typically says to mix the liquid and the oats and microwave for ~3 minutes.  Or use the stove-top).  Once cooked, mix in the vanilla extract and the vanilla protein powder, if using.  Top with the pineapple, strawberries, banana, chocolate, and walnuts.  Serve warm.

** Use gluten free oats if you want this to be gluten free

** Be sure your dark chocolate has zero milk ingredients if you want this to be vegan

This was heavenly (I tried a few bites of Nick's.  He's so kind)

I even thought it would be even more heavenly with some unsweetened coconut flakes on top.  Nick agreed.

QUESTION:  What's your favorite oatmeal combination??  Come on, you know you have one!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Who Should Take a B-12 Supplement?

I recently started taking B12 (500mcg). The first day I took it I couldn't sleep. To me that meant I was definitely deficient in B12.

The Office of Dietary Supplements says this about B12:

Evidence from the Framingham Offspring Study suggests that the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in young adults might be greater than previously assumed [15]. This study found that the percentage of participants in three age groups (26–49 years, 50–64 years, and 65 years and older) with deficient blood levels of vitamin B12 was similar. The study also found that individuals who took a supplement containing vitamin B12 or consumed fortified cereal more than four times per week were much less likely to have a vitamin B12 deficiency.



They also say:

Individuals with gastrointestinal disorders should probably take a B12 supplement. Individuals with stomach and small intestine disorders, such as celiac disease and Crohn's disease, may be unable to absorb enough vitamin B12 from food to maintain healthy body stores [12,23]. Subtly reduced cognitive function resulting from early vitamin B12 deficiency might be the only initial symptom of these intestinal disorders, followed by megaloblastic anemia and dementia.



I started taking B12 because I'm pretty sure I have some type of malabsorption disorder. When I consume FODMAPs I believe my body has a hard time absorbing other nutrients, such as B12 and magnesium.


Many people think that B12 will give them energy, but in fact that's not the case, unless of course you are deficient (which explains why I was so energized by B12!)



The Office of Dietary Supplements says this about B12, in regards to energy;

Due to its role in energy metabolism, vitamin B12 is frequently promoted as an energy enhancer and an athletic performance and endurance booster. These claims are based on the fact that correcting the megaloblastic anemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency should improve the associated symptoms of fatigue and weakness. However, vitamin B12 supplementation appears to have no beneficial effect on performance in the absence of a nutritional deficit [81].


B12 is one of the few vitamins that does not seem to pose any danger when high amounts are ingested. It is for that reason than I decided it was worth trying B12, to see if I noticed a difference and to assure myself that I was indeed deficient (sadly). I'm glad I did. I've read some research about how chronic B12 deficiencies may lead to dementia or even Alzheimers. No thanks. Other groups, aside from those with malabsorption/gastrointestinal disorders, who might need a B12 supplement include elderly individuals and vegetarians (especially vegans!).

Sources of B12

Meat

Fish

Poultry

Dairy

Fortified foods (vegan)

Nutritional yeast (vegan)

I'm not even a vegan and I eat nutritional yeast everyday! It's a great replacement for parmesan cheese.

QUESTION: Have you ever talked to someone who told you they take B12 for energy? Now you can tell them it's all in their head! I felt more energy the first couple of days I took the B12, but after that I didn't feel any more energized than normal. Why? Because I believe my levels are finally normal, phew!