Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

Recipes

Spoonful of Gluten Free

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Yes, gluten free. The past week or so I have been having tummy issues (every time I eat, it hurts!), so I have decided to experiment by going on a gluten-free diet to see if it helps my poor tummy.

This means my last, yummy cornbread recipe is off the menu, right?

WRONG-O!

I picked up a pack of brown rice flour to experiment with. I used the exact same recipe, found HERE, but instead of adding 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour I added 1/2 cup brown rice flour.

Served with a bowl of veggie-rice-and-bean soup

It turned out great! I might have liked it even better than my original recipe. The brown rice flour made it a bit fluffier, but it still had that authentic “corny” taste.

Also, a shout out to Krystal for converting my cornbread recipe to gluten-free with her own style:

Krystal's Cornbread

Anita also had a great idea, and suggested that I toast the cornmeal in the cast-iron skillet before I bake it. Thanks, Anita! I will try that out next time!

Now, onto a gluten-free breakfast crepe:

HEAB has been taunting me nonstop with her flourless crepes. I have made a few of them, and simply spread some coconut butter on it. These crepes haven’t been too special, but today’s was especially noteworthy.

Savory Carb-Free Crepe

~This crepe is free of carbs, gluten-free, dairy-free, and of course, sugar-free! It is great for a fancy luncheon or brunch, but quick and easy for any meal during the week.

Ingredients

Serves 1

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • salt and pepper (I used about 1/8 teaspoon of each)
  • Tablespoon of fresh herbs of choice (Today I used fresh cilantro leaves, but oregano, thyme, or basil would work great, too!)
  • Fillings: I used sliced bell peppers, tomatoes, red onions, spinach, and capers.

Using a dab of olive oil, lightly coat a skillet (I used my cast-iron) with the oil. Heat pan on medium heat. Next, in a small bowl, whisk the eggs, herbs, baking powder, and salt and pepper together. Pour the mix into the pre-heated skillet and cover. Let the crepe bake until the top gets bubbly and fluffy, there is no need to flip it. Carefully remove the crepe from the skillet-try hard not to break it because it is just so darn pretty! Then fill with your favorite fillings and wrap it up! Top with more herbs for a beautiful garnish.

The crepe by itself
Filling it up...
Rolled up and ready to eat!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Have you ever gone on a gluten-free diet? I actually tested myself a few years ago, and went on a semi-gluten-free diet for a little while. I just like to challenge myself, and try new things!

 

 

Classic Cast Iron Cornbread

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That’s a lot of “c’s”!

Since Fall has finally come to Florida (can you believe that it is 60* here this morning?!), it is finally time to start buying some fresh apples, pumpkin, and squash. It is also time to start wearing sweatpants in the morning while I work on my homework, and sip on some hot tea!

 

Along with fall vegetables, Cornbread is a must! I love good, hearty cornbread. None of that cakey-stuff for me! (Have you ever tried Boston Market’s cornbread? It tastes like cake-yuck!)

I use my cast-iron skillet for many things: omelets, stir-fries, chicken, salmon. I love how the pan gets seasoned every time I use it! I also love that it doesn’t have non-stick coatings on it that may cause cancer.

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Classic Cast Iron Cornbread

Classic Cast Iron Cornbread

~This recipe is whole grain, dairy-free, and of course, sugar-free! Also, optionally gluten-free (see below).

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups of cornmeal (I used Bob's Red Mill Coarse Ground, but any kind will do)
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (For a gluten-free version, Substitute 1/2 cup brown rice flour.)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk or milk substitute (I used almond milk)
  • 2 Tablespoons vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 egg

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450*. Take a 10 inch cast iron skillet and pour the oil into it. Place the skillet in the oven for 5 minutes.
  2. While the skillet it heating, Combine the dry ingredients.
  3. Now, make a buttermilk by whisking the milk and vinegar together. Let sit for a few minutes.
  4. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Do not overmix! The batter should be lumpy. This is what gives it that hearty, cornbread taste.
  5. Take the skillet out of the oven and pour the hot oil into the batter and mix.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2010/10/05/classic-cast-iron-cornbread/

 

Note: this recipe can be used in a regular pan, too. The cast-iron skillet gives it that nice, crunchy coating on the edges.

I have some lentil soup cooking in the crock pot this morning, so the cornbread will make a hearty addition to the meal. Cornbread is also great served with chili, stir-fried veggies, cornbread-burgers, or even made into a pb&j! Here is what I did with my last batch of cornbread:

Served with green beans and crispy potatoes and onions

 

Next morning leftovers with an egg scramble (red peppers, spinach, and onions-Oh my!)

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What do you like to eat your cornbread with? I really like smashing mine in some bean soup, so that the corn bread is spread throughout the soup.

Also, do you have a favorite baking pan that you always use? Mine is definitely my cast-iron!


Healthy Puppy Chow!

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Yes, you heard right. That lovable childhood treat can be healthy!

I used to love puppy chow-the way the peanut butter and chocolate flavor bursted in your mouth as your fingers got sticky from the powdery-white sugar. Yum.

"Real" Puppy Chow

Unfortunately, “real” puppy chow is made with chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar. This racks up to be 16 grams of sugar per serving (according to Chex.com Recipes). But who ever sticks to that measly 1/2-cup serving anyway? It’s too good to not have seconds (or thirds….or fourths)!

Enter…My Puppy Chow:

Under-a-Minute Healthy Puppy Chow

~This puppy chow takes less than a minute to make, and is the perfect snack for those days when you are in a rush. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

Serves 1

  • 1 cup rice chex (or other cereal of choice)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1-2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • optional add-ins: peanuts, cacao nibs, dried fruit, be creative!

Mix the peanut butter and cocoa powder together in a bowl. Add a little bit of water if it gets to sticky. Then, add the chex cereal and add-ins (if using), and stir together until well-incorporated.

Enjoy while watching a movie! Like Julie & Julia (one of my favorites!)

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What is your favorite movie?

Also, what is your favorite movie snack? I always bring my own popcorn to the movies, because i am a Huge fan of my popcorn! (not to brag or anything) I make mine on the stove-top 🙂

Coffee or Tea?

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Tea or Coffee? The question that haunts many, many people in the morning.

Personally, I am a fan of both. They both have great, intense, rich, and sometimes delicate flavors.

Tipu’s Chai, a chai tea company based out of Montana, contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if I would like to try some free samples.

Free food? Of course I would!

They were so kind and sent me a package of their instant chai tea “with no preservatives, no sugar and no artificial sweeteners.” I learned that most instant chais do contain these three things, so I was very happy to learn that it didn’t!  It would be great for the lactose intolerant and diabetic.

The directions say to simply add it to warm milk, but I added it to warm almond milk. It was very good!! A little bit of this stuff goes a long way!

My mom, who is a big chai fan, loved the tea because it was rich and full-bodied. She said, “It is not like the chai that you get in a coffee shop with the sugar and milk and froth. Instead, it tastes very authentic. Just like the Indians make.” She should know because she has an Indian friend who makes her own chai tea.

Thanks again, Tipu!

Now onto coffee. Mocha to be more specific.

I have always been a big fan of iced mochas. When I was about 8 years old, my mom bought me a mocha mix to make my own mocha shakes. They were so good, yet they were filled to the brim with sugar. On average, a small mocha purchased at a coffee house has atleast 30 grams of sugar. Some of them having as much as 50 grams. Sheesh, that’s a lot of refined carbs.

Alas, I craved a mocha one morning…

My solution: Mocha Oatmeal!

Mocha Oatmeal

~This is a great substitute for those high-sugar drinks. It also fills you up, and keeps you satisfied!

Serves 1

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1 cup milk or milk substitute (or water, but the milk makes it super creamy. I used almond milk)
  • 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 1 Tablespoon instant coffee mix (I actually cheated here and used Caffix, a decaf instant “coffee” made from barley…)
  • Toppings: sliced almonds, chocolate shavings, or even whipped cream. Be creative!

Heat milk and oats in saucepan until it begins to boil. Turn down to medium heat, and stir until oats are cooked. While stirring, add the cocoa powder and coffee.

Serve in a bowl, or a coffee mug and top with your toppings of choice!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Are you a coffee person or a tea person??


The Benefits of a Chocolate Addiction

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Chocolate tastes good. In fact, chocolate tastes heavenly!

But no worries-chocolate is good for you! Pure dark chocolate is chock full of antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals that can cause damage and lead to heart disease and wrinkles (eww!). These flavonoids help relax the blood pressure through the production of nitric acid, balance certain hormones in the body, and lower cholesterol. Chocolate does all this, and tastes good, too!

Chocolate also makes us feel good!

  • Stimulates endorphin production (the “feel-good” chemicals)
  • contains serotonin, an anti-depressant
  • contains stimulants like caffeine and theobromine

And it makes our skin smooth and soft because of the healthy fats:

  • Oleic Acid: healthy monounsaturated fat found also in olive oil
  • Stearic Acid: Saturated fat that has a neutralizing effect on cholesterol

Ok, you may be thinking, “Alex, why in the world are you talking about chocolate on a sugar-free blog? I thought you couldn’t eat chocolate!”

That’s true, but real chocolate doesn’t start out with sugar in it. It starts out as a mere cacao bean, naturally unsweetened.

Cacao was named Theobroma by Linnaeus, which means “food of the gods.” The trees are grown mostly in Africa, Mexico, Latin America, the Caribbean, and parts of Asia and South America. Within the cacao pod, there are about 25 beans that make the chocolate we know in the United States.

I like to eat the cacao nibs, which are not sweetened. At first taste, they can be very bitter, but take the second bite! think about it. You might grow to love it! I love putting it in my exotic oatmeal, on top magic banana ice cream, or simply on top of a scoop of peanut butter. These can be found at some health food stores, or you can by them online at my shop.

I have also found that 100% dark chocolate bars taste heavenly! I like Baker’s chocolate squares, and Ghiradelli baking chocolate. They can be found in the baking section of most grocery stores. Like with the unsweetened cacao nibs, try a couple bites to get the full taste! Roll it around in your mouth, and think about it. You might find that you like it better than sweetened chocolate because of its intense, rich flavor.

If you still can’t handle the unsweetened chocolate; go for the chocolate that is as dark as you can handle, and you can still reap the benefits!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

How dark is the chocolate you eat? Do you eat it a lot, or just occasionally?

I have been experimenting with it a lot. My most recent success was adding 100% chocolate chunks to my banana muffins-oh so good!

Psst-looking for my giveaway? Click here.

An Old-New Grain

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Eden Organic sent me a package of Kamut Flakes to try and review. (I must say that I love receiving packages-especially when they contain food!)

Kamut is an ancient wheat (which means it does have gluten) that has a nutty, earthy flavor. It is a complex carbohydrate with 4 grams of fiber, 8 grams of protein, and 70% daily value of manganese per serving. It can be made into a hot cereal (like oatmeal) by cooking it in water for about three minutes. It can also be used in muesli, granola, energy bars, and baked goods.

Cooking in the pot

I first tried making it into a hot cereal. Review: Different, but good. It isn’t a creamy cereal, but instead a nutty, rich, and earthy grain. In my opinion, kamut is more of a savory grain rather than a sweet grain. I liked it with a dash of olive oil and some salt and pepper.

I also tried adding kamut to some nuts, and toasting them to make a yummy salad topping (or granola). Eden sent a recipe booklet with a nice recipe called Curry in a Hurry. I will definitely be trying this soon!

Eden Organics started out as a Co-op in Ann Arbor, but they slowly began to grow into an world-wide business. They pride themselves on being a truly natural company. While browing through their catalog, I saw that they carried a lot of authentic Japanese products like brown rice mochi, macha tea, and wasabi.

Thanks so much, Eden Organics, for the Kamut Flakes!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Have you ever tried Kamut Flakes? Or any other exotic grain? I swear that each time I go to the grocery store, a new “ancient, superfood” grain is being sold!