Showing posts with label almond. Show all posts
Showing posts with label almond. Show all posts
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Fresh Figs with Raw Almond Butter and Coconut
Dried Figs Cant Compare
Growing up in an Italian American home, I was often presented with dried figs for dessert. I couldnt imagine why anyone would eat these things. They were difficult to chew and the hard seeds made them unpalatable. I swore that I would never make my children suffer through a dessert like this.
As a young adult, I went to visit my friend Isabella who lives in Rome. After dinner, she served a bowl of beautiful, fresh figs. It took some convincing, but I tried one and immediately fell in love. I could hardly believe that this was the same fruit that I so disliked in its dehydrated form. It instantly became by favorite fruit but unfortunately I realized that they were not that easy to find.
Since figs are extremely perishable, the ones in the store are pretty expensive and dont always look fresh. To avoid this problem, I began planting my own fig trees where possible. I encourage you, if you live in a warm climate, to plant a fig tree. Ive had luck growing them in Texas and California. Figs grow easily and come in many varieties. My favorite is the Kadota fig which has a green skin and usually produces late in the summer and early fall. Since my husband and I just moved to a new home, one of the first things we did was plant a "Janice" fig, which is a seedless Kadota. I anxiously await the first harvest. Calimyrna figs are also light skinned. Dark skinned figs include black mission and brown turkey figs.
Figs and Almonds, a Wonderful Pair
Todays simple dessert combines the distinct flavors and health benefits of fresh figs and raw almonds. Figs are a good source of dietary fiber. Many people fail to meet the minimum daily requirement of 25+ grams of fiber, vital in the prevention of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, diverticular disease and other health issues. Ive often thought that if a person could do one thing to improve their health, they should eat lots of fiber from fresh foods and whole grains (not just high fiber cereals). Figs are also a good source of potassium and manganese. Potassium helps regulate water and acid-base balance and is important in regulating blood pressure. Manganese is important in the metabolism of carbohydrates and amino acids. It supports bone health, blood sugar balance and energy production. Almonds are also a very good source of manganese as well as vitamin E. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant and difficult to get from a raw food vegan diet. Its also a good source of protein and magnesium. Magnesium is key for the proper functioning of muscles and nerves. It also supports energy production.
If you have a fig tree or are lucky enough to have a neighbor with one, you can make a tray of these and serve them at a party. They make wonderful "finger food".
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Fresh Figs with Raw Almond Butter and Coconut [serves 4]
4 large fresh figs, split in half vertically
4 teaspoons raw almond butter
4 teaspoons raw, unsweetened, shredded coconut
Spread almond butter on top of each fig half. Sprinkle shredded coconut over the almond butter. Arrange on a plate and serve.
Per serving: 86.6 calories, 3.6 g fat, .8 g saturated fat, .4 g cholesterol, .7 g protein, 13.3 g carbohydrates and 2.5 g of fiber.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Vegan Tart Cherry And Almond Scones
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| These vegan scones are quick and easy to make. They are just 127 calories and less than 1g of saturated fat! Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Perfecting the Healthy Scone
I love scones but they are usually made with cream, butter and white flour, all of which I avoid. For some time now Ive been trying to perfect a "healthy" scone. Well, I wouldnt regard this recipe as "health food" but, for a scone, it comes pretty darn close.
This recipe features King Arthurs white whole wheat flour which gives the whole grain goodness of wheat with the lightness of white flour. They also contain tart cherries which are high up there on the ORAC scale (6800 per 100 grams), a measurement of the antioxidant capacity of food. Almonds not only give a nice crunch but also contribute manganese and vitamin E. Soy creamer and Earth Balance replace the cream and butter so the scones are free of cholesterol and have only 0.7 grams of saturated fat. These are also low in sugar with only a little over one teaspoon per scone. Bottom line, these delicious breakfast treats weigh in at only 127 calories and provide 2.6 grams of fiber per serving.
Tart Cherry and Almond Whole Wheat Scones
Vegan
[makes 8 scones]
1 cup King Arthurs white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons organic cane sugar plus 1/2 teaspoon for sprinkling
2 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan buttery spread
1/2 cup Silk soy creamer
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped dried tart cherries
3 tablespoons slivered almonds
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly oil a cookie sheet.
Combines flour, baking powder, baking soda and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a medium size mixing bowl.
Using a pastry blender, mix the Earth Balance into the flour mixture.
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| Mix in until the flour resembles course meal. |
Add soy creamer and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until flour mixture is moistened.
Stir in the dried cherries and almonds.
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| Stir dried cherries and almonds into moistened flour mixture. |
Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop 8 scones onto the lightly oiled cookie sheet.
Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sugar evenly over the scones. (Thats 1/2 teaspoon for all 8 scones - it doesnt take much).
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| Using an ice cream scoop makes this so easy. |
Bake until golden brown and tops are firm when gently pressed, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and serve immediately with vegan cream cheese or low sugar strawberry jam.
NOTE: The baking time is perhaps the trickiest thing in this recipe. If you bake them for too short a period of time they are doughy but even a minute too long will make them too brown so play around with it until you figure out your oven. It may take a few tries but youll enjoy each attempt!
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| Experiment with other dried fruits and nuts. |
VARIATION: You can also make these with other dried fruits such as raisins, dried cranberries, apricots or prunes. Try other nuts too such as English walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans or cashews.
Ive nearly perfected the gluten free version of this so stand by!
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