Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

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A Use for Figs

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Remember those figs I bought about a month ago?

Well…I tried experimenting with a healthy fig newton, but that didn’t turn out very well. I tried eating them plain, and didn’t like them too much. Then I froze them for later.

A couple days ago I looked in my freezer and saw the frozen figs and the overflowing bucket of fresh plums in my fridge, and I decided to make a crisp. A fruit crisp full of fresh plums, figs, orange zest, and topped with crunchy granola.

Fresh Fig and Plum Crisp

~This crisp was adapted from my Pick-a-Fruit Crisp recipe. Dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, vegan, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Ingredients

  • 8 plums, chopped
  • 6 figs, chopped
  • zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup chopped nuts (I used a mix of walnuts and almonds)
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut oil, or oil of choice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375*. Mix the figs, plums, orange juice, and orange zest together in a 2-qt baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine the oats, nuts, spice, oil, and salt until combined. Sprinkle this topping on the fruit. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the fruit is tender and bubbling. If the top is not yet golden brown, you may wish to broil it for a few seconds until it has nice golden coloring.

Health Benefits: 

  • Oats: Click HERE for a post about the benefits of oats.
  • Cinnamon: Studies have shown that it can help lower LDL cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar levels, has anti-clotting effect on blood, and it can boost cognitive function and memory.
  • Plum: Several studies have demonstrated that plums, which contain high amounts of polyphenols, can restore bone mass and structure. High potassium content of plums is beneficial for cardiovascular health. It has a low glycemic index and can be used as a natural laxative.
  • Fig: Excellent source of poly-phenolic flavonoid anti-oxidants such ascarotenes, lutein, tannins, chlorgenic acid. Full of fiber, and vitamins A, E, and K. Research studies suggest that chlorogenic acid in these berries help lower blood sugar levels and control blood glucose levels in type-II diabetes. Contains potassium, copper, and iron. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Iron is required for red blood cell formation as well for cellular oxidation.
  • Orange Peel-Contains lots of antioxidants, and the scent can help people feel more awake.

I loved eating this warm with a dollop of coconut cream or a drizzle of unsweetened almond milk. Leftovers taste great cold and make a great breakfast the next day.

 

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What are your favorite fruit crisp ingredients? What about your favorite fall fruit?

P.S Don’t forget to sign up for the Sugar-Free Challenge! 

Announcing the 2nd Challenge!

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By popular request, I am hosting a second Sugar-Free Challenge in November!

I’m giving you plenty of time to prepare and sign-up. It’s before Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all the winter holidays, so it will be a great final sugar-detox before the holiday snacking begins.

I hope you all sign up!

Click Here to go to the Challenge Homepage and Sign-up! 

Still questioning whether to sign up?

Check out these helpful posts:

Look at a sample day of a sugar-free challenge HERE. 

And because each post isn’t complete without a picture, here’s a teaser for a recipe coming up:

I Like My Eggs…

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How would you like your eggs?

Scrambled? Fried? Poached? Hard-Boiled?

How about filled with sauteed spinach, bell peppers, onions, and capers?

The Ultimate Vegetarian Omelette

~Feel free to add extra spices and vegetables to your omelet. Throw whatever you have in the fridge into the skillet! 

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup chopped veggies: onions, bell pepper, spinach, broccoli, olives, tomatoes, capers (Highly recommended)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh herbs, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs)  I like to use basil or oregano
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • oil of choice, for pan

First, choose your pan. Non-stick pans usually work the best with omelettes; however, I choose not to use them because of their chemical coating. My favorite pan to use is a cast iron pan, 10” diameter.

Preheat stove to Medium heat and lightly grease with oil. Sauté the vegetables until golden. In the meantime, whisk the eggs with a small splash of water and the herbs. The water and whisking makes the eggs fluffier. Flavor Idea: Instead of whisking with water, try whisking with a small splash of caper juice for a salty-vinegar flavor.

Now, you have two options for cooking your omelette:

  1. Pour the whisked eggs and herbs on top of the sauteed veggies. Cook for a few minutes until bubbly, and flip for another 30 seconds.
  2. Take the veggies out of the pan. Pour the egg mix onto the pan and cook for a few minutes until bubbly. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds. Place the veggies on top of the eggs and serve folded.

Sprinkle with extra salt and pepper, if desired, and serve.

Eggs are a great source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.

  • One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids.
  • Due to the carotenoid content, specifically lutein and zeaxanthin, eggs are great for the eyes.
  • They are a good source of choline. One egg yolk has about 300 micrograms of choline. Choline is an important nutrient that helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system.
  • Contrary to previous belief, moderate consumption of eggs does not have a negative impact on cholesterol. In fact, recent studies have shown that regular consumption of two eggs per day does not affect a person’s lipid profile and may actually improve it.
  • Eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D.
  • Eggs promote healthy hair and nails because of their high sulphur content and wide array of vitamins and minerals. Many people find their hair growing faster after adding eggs to their diet, especially if they were previously deficient in foods containing sulphur or B12.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

How do you like your eggs? Usually at restaurants, I ask for mine poached.

Favorite omelette add-ins? Mine are usually any kind of veggies I can find in the fridge. My favorites are mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, onions, and lots of capers!

This post is a part of my Operation Beautiful Food Project. My original recipe was posted here. 

Operation Beautiful Food

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Looking back through my recipes, I found that some of my older food photos were, well, pretty darn ugly. 

Ever since a couple of my photos were accepted to FoodGawker and Finding Vegan, I’ve been eager to submit more of my food photos. When I first started this site, though, I  really didn’t care if my photos were pretty or not. I just took a picture of it, and posted. I’m a little embarrassed now. 

Take for example my Five Minute Burgers: 

I swear, the recipe is delicious. Looking at this photo, though, makes it seem a bit unappetizing. 

I’m by no means an expert at taking stunning food photos like the wonderful Leanne, but I am going to at least try to make the photos better. Something more like this: 

Pumpkin Spice Latte Granola

Not every post is going to be a re-make of recipes, but I will throw a few in there every once in a while. 

Please bear with me while I try and teach myself photography! 

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Are you interested in photography? If so, have any tips to share? 

Cookies…for Breakfast!

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Has anyone ever had cookie crisp cereal?

My parents didn’t buy me sugared cereals when I was young, so I think I only tried it once. It probably wasn’t even that great since I don’t remember it.

Full of white flour, sugar, and artificial flavors, Cookie Crisp Cereal would not be considered “A Healthy part of a Balanced Breakfast.”

But….what if I were to create a cookie that can be considered a balanced breakfast?

Full of Protein, No added Sugars, No flour, No Gluten, No Dairy, No artificial flavors, No Preservatives. Just whole delicious cookies in breakfast form.

Simply make the High Protein cookies, recipe found HERE.

Follow the directions, but instead of dropping the dough on a cookie sheet by tablespoons full, use 1/4 teaspoon to scoop out the dough. Keep a bowl of warm water handy to rinse of the measuring spoon between scoops. This will make it easier to scoop.

The cooking directions are up to you, though. Personally, I like soft cookies, so I baked them for 15 minutes at 375*. If you want a crisper cookie, you may bake at 400* for a bit longer.

Awww! A teeny tiny cookie!

I ate mine in a bowl with unsweetened almond milk. Coconut milk also tastes delicious with its rich, creamy flavor.

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

Did your parents ever buy you “sugar” cereals for breakfast as a kid?

My parents never bought them for me, but, of course, my siblings and I begged them to buy them! Now, I can’t even imagine eating cereals full of sugar any time of day. Especially not for breakfast!

Coffee

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Happy National Coffee Day!

Grab your favorite mug, brew your favorite coffee beans, breathe, and enjoy.

While you’re at it, might as well use those coffee beans to make some coffee granola!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Granola

cof·fee [kaw-fee, kof-ee] 

noun

1. a beverage consisting of a decoction or infusion of the roasted ground or crushed seeds (coffee beans) of the two-seeded fruit (coffee berry)  of certain coffee trees.

2. the seeds or fruit themselves.

3. any tropical tree or shrub of the genus Coffea,  of themadder family, especially

C. arabica  and C. canephora, cultivated commercially.

4.a cup of coffee: We ordered four coffees and three doughnuts.

5.a social gathering at which coffee and other refreshments are served.

koffie. kafe. buna. kahioa. surch. kafea. kava. café. cafe. ga feh. kafei. koffie. kafo. kohv. bunna. kape. chai. der Kaffee. kope. caife. kopi. koohii. qéhvé. kawa. cafea. el café. kopi. kahawa. kapi-kottai. ca phe. ikhofi. kafés.

However you say it, enjoy your cup of coffee today!

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

How do you like your coffee?

I like mine dark. I love experimenting with different flavors, too, like Pumpkin Spice or Hazelnut.

 

Have any new suggestions for me? Any special tips on how to brew the perfect cup?