Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

Peanut Butter

Day 2: Apple Crisps and Peanut Butter Hummus Dip

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Welcome to day two of the Sugar Free Challenge! Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Bitter Chocolate Waffles with Sliced bananas and peanut butter whip.

Lunch: Socca with a spinach salad topped with fresh bruschetta. Served with a hard-boiled egg.

Snack: Apple Crisps with Peanut Butter Hummus Dip (recipe below).

Dinner: Brown Rice Stir Fry with carrots, onions, leftover chicken, bell pepper, ginger, soy sauce, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Dessert: Chocolate Almond Cookie Dough Bites.

 

Apple Crisps with Peanut Butter Hummus Dip

~This recipe is from my Apple a Day Dinner menu. They were inspired by my High-Protein Cookie Dough. Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, grain-free, vegan, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Apple Crisp Directions

Thinly slice your apples, and leave the peel on. I used a mandolin slicer to have even slices. You may slice in rounds or halves. If desired, sprinkle with cinnamon.

Dehydrator Method: Lay slices flat on food dehydrator and dehydrate for 24 hours. Let cool in a dry area before serving or covering.

Oven Method: Lay slices flat on baking sheet. Do not overlap. Preheat oven to 225* nd bake for two hours, turning halfway through. Let cool in a dry area before serving or covering.

Peanut Butter Hummus Dip Directions

  • 1 can chickpeas (1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup nondairy milk

First, drain and wash chickpeas well. Make sure they are well-washed so that the cookie dough doesn’t taste like beans. Add all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Adjust liquid as needed.

Health Benefits

 

 

  • Chickpeas: Click HERE for a post I did about all the benefits of chickpeas.
  • Peanut Butter: These legumes are full of protein with 7g per ounce. They also have a great monounsaturated fat content that helps your heart and brain. Peanut is a good source of Coenzyme Q10 which protects the heart during the period of lack of oxygen example high altitudes and clogged arteries. It also has a high antioxidant and high niacin content that helps in the recovery of cell damage and provides protection against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive problem.
  • Apples: a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones. The pectin in apples lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and it supplies galacturonic acid to the body which lowers the body’s need for insulin and may help in the management of diabetes.

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

How was your second day of sugar-free?

Also, what’s your favorite dish to bring to parties? Please share! I would love some more ideas.

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!

How to Make Homemade Spring Rolls

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You’ve seen them at the store or at various restaurants, and perhaps you’ve even eaten them before.

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But have you ever made them?

Spring Rolls are actually quite simple to make. Simply fill them with your favorite vegetables, herbs, and meat; roll; and eat!

Spring rolls

Homemade Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

~These rolls are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Spring Roll Ingredients 

  • Rice Paper Rolls (found in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store or specialty foods store, or at asian markets)
  • The following fruits and vegetables. You may use whatever you like when stuffing it. The following is simply a suggestion:
    • Cabbage
    • Carrots
    • Fruit (like mango or pear)
    • Avocado
    • Bean Sprouts
    • Herbs: cilantro, basil, or mint
    • Optional: Cooked meat or fish

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1. Prepare your filling ingredients by thinly slicing, or julienning, the vegetables. Pluck the herb’s leaves.

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2. Fill a large bowl with warm water (not hot, just warm). Take a Rice Paper and dip the entire sheet into the bowl of water and pull out immediately. The Rice Paper may still feel hard now, but it will soften up while you work with it.

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3. Place your ingredients on the middle of the rice paper sheet. Put a good amount of the filling in, but make sure there are still a couple inches around the edges to roll. I learned from my first couple tries that more is not always better.

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4. Fold the top part of the Rice Paper sheet over the ingredients.

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5. Fold the sides over the middle.

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6. Tuck in the fillings, and roll the rest tightly.

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7. Seal the rice paper with a dab of water, if needed. Repeat the above with the rest of your rice paper sheets.

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Spicy Peanut Sauce

~This sauce is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 Tablespoons Tamari or Soy Sauce (Note: Soy Sauce is made with wheat, so it will not be gluten-free. Most Tamari sauces are. I recommend Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.)
  • 2 Tablespoons vinegar
  • Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes, or more to taste

Whisk together all ingredients until well-combined and serve as dipping sauce for Spring Rolls. This can also be used for stir-frys, or as a dressing for salads.

***NOTE: For those who are allergic to peanuts, try substituting almond butter to make a Spicy Almond Sauce. Or forgo the sauce altogether, and simply dip the rolls in soy sauce.

spring rolls

Don’t be scared by the long list of steps, because it is not hard at all! It is simply a process of slicing veggies, rolling, and dipping in sauce. Then, of course, you eat.

Can be served for lunch or dinner, or grab one for a quick snack. I like to think of them as salads in portable form.

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Definitely make extra peanut sauce to save for later and put on….everything.

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

Have you tried Spring Rolls before? If so, do you like them?

How is the weather in your neck of the woods? I thought fall was finally coming to us, but it has been mid-90s everyday this week! Oh well, I guess I’m going to have to wait a bit longer to share with you my pumpkin recipes…

P.S. My first Photo was featured on FoodGawker! Check it out HERE. 

 

National Peanut Day

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Did you know today, September 13th, is National Peanut Day?!

"PB&J" Oatmeal

My favorite food has its own holiday. For good reason, too, because peanuts are:

  • Full of protein with 7 grams per ounce.
  • Contains Monounsaturated fats that help your heart and brain stay healthy.
  • Food source of Coenzyme Q10 which protects the heart during periods of lack of oxygen. For example, high altitudes and clogged arteries.
  • High antioxidant and high niacin content that helps in the recovery of cell damage and provides protection against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive problem.
  • Not to mention tasty!

Celebrate today by snacking on peanuts, grabbing spoonfuls of peanut butter, and making tasty, peanut-filled recipes!

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Cream
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Chocolate Banana Cream Pie with Chocolate Peanut Butter Crust
Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Chocolate-Peanut Truffles
Bitter Chocolate Waffles topped with Peanut Butter and Banana
High Protein Cookies
High Protein Cookie Dough

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

What’s your favorite way to eat peanuts? Are you going to join me in celebrating?

P.S. Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for the stevia giveaway. 

P.P.S I was featured on the Fitblogger yesterday. Check it out HERE.

 

 

Eat Your Cookies…Outside!

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The last day of August caught up with me. September creeps around the corner. Before you know it, kids will be at my doorstep trick or treating in Ghost, Vampire, and Princess costumes. For now, let’s enjoy this last day of August by eating outside.

Enjoy the view, whip up a quick batch of cookies, and relax.

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Fluffy Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Fluffy Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies

~These fluffy cookies have great flavor with minimal ingredients. The bananas make them naturally sweet. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, soy-free, nut-free, and, of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 2 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed
  • 2 cups oats ground into oat flour (Simply process in blender until smooth)
  • 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350*.
  2. Mix together the bananas, vanilla, and salt until well-combined.
  3. Add in baking powder, baking soda, and oat flour and combine until mixed.
  4. Add water to help stir.
  5. Fold in chocolate chunks.
  6. Spoon by tablespoonfuls on a baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden on top and bottom.
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/08/31/eat-your-cookies-outside/

Serve hot or cold. Plain or sandwiched with Peanut Butter Cream or Coconut Whipped Cream.

The fluffy cookie sandwiched with the creamy filling tasted like a chocolate banana whoopie-pie. Only better. And healthier.
Health Benefits: 
  • Bananas: Rich in potassium, bananas help the body’s circulatory system deliver oxygen to the brain. This also helps maintain a regular heartbeat and a proper balance of water in the body. It also contains tryptophan to help relax you and lift your spirits!
  • Chocolate: Read a post about the benefits of chocolate HERE.
  • Oats: Click HERE for a post I wrote on al the benefits of Oats.
THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Are you going to join me in eating outside today?

P.S Today is the last day to enter the Blissful Bites Giveaway, so sign up if you haven’t already!

Bitter Chocolate Waffles

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Sorry to leave you all hanging with that delicious stack of…

Chocolate Waffles!

Pure torture to live another day without these.

If you don’t have a waffle iron, you have two options:

  1. Make these into pancakes.
  2. Go buy a waffle iron.

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Bitter Chocolate Waffles

Bitter Chocolate Waffles

~These waffles have no added sweetener, so they are bitter. If you are not a fan of bitter chocolate, top your waffles with lots of fresh fruit! Gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and, of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups oat flour (simply blend oats in blender until smooth)
  • 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 cup water or milk substitute
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons oil or applesauce
  • Optional: Add a few tablespoons of ground flax for extra fiber and omega's. Substitute 1/2 of oat flour for protein powder of choice. Add a handful of chopped unsweetened chocolate for an extra boost of flavor!

Instructions

  1. First, combine the dry ingredients.
  2. Then, add wet and mix until smooth.
  3. Follow your waffle iron's instructions to cook. Make sure you cook it thoroughly. I made the mistake of taking them out too soon, and I ended up with a bowl-full of waffle pieces!
  4. Top with any combination of nut, fruit, coconut, peanut butter, chocolate shavings, or anything else you can imagine!
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2011/08/11/bitter-chocolate-waffles/

They freeze well, so you can make a big batch to save for later. Simply throw them in your toaster to warm. Much better for you (and tastier!) than Eggo’s frozen waffles.
This batch is topped with a dollop of Peanut Butter Frosting, Banana Slices, and Shaved Unsweetened Chocolate.
You could probably make my One Size Fits all Pancakes made with brown rice flour in a waffle iron, too, if you are feeling adventurous.
If you haven’t tried the Peanut Butter, Banana, Chocolate combo yet, do it. It’s worth it. I have so many recipes with that delectable combo.
Click HERE for nutrition information on Oats and HERE for nutrition information about chocolate. They both boast plenty of good properties.
Try not to drool all over your computer.
In other news, I have finally hopped on the Twitter bandwagon. Hopefully I’ll be able to figure the whole thing out. My Twitter name is SugarFreeAlex, so make sure to follow me!

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

Do you have a twitter account? If so, any tips or tricks?

Also, what is your favorite waffle topping? You already know mine!