Guest Post: Strawberry Doughnuts!

Look at these...Advanced Plan Strawberries-n-Cream Doughnuts from Tall Girl (Jessica) over at Tall World After All!

Jessica took the original recipe for Strawberries-n-Cream Cake and, voila!, turned it into doughnuts!  Can you say GENIUS?!

Prepare the recipe as normal, but increase the baking powder by 1 teaspoon.  Spoon the batter out into the doughnut pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.  Test with a toothpick for doneness.

Great on their own, or make a simple and lovely glaze by melting down some coconut butter.  You could stir in vanilla, stevia or a little almond milk to thin.

Be sure to check out Tall Girl's blog.  She is a world traveler, currently living in Madrid.  She always has interesting experiences and stories to share, and some new recipes along the way.  Thanks for this new spin on a recipe, Jessica!  :)

Guest Post: Mango Mint Sorbet

Today's recipe comes from the kitchen of Dr. B.J. Hardick, co-author of the book Maximized Living Nutrition Plans.  This book outlines the foundation of the Core and Advanced Plans and is what inspired me to change my family's lifestyle, and eventually start Healing Cuisine to share with all of you.

Dr. B.J. needed some menu planning help.  He was throwing a Latin American themed dinner party for his friends.  He wanted the perfect dessert to compliment his other courses.  My mind immediately went to mangoes.  Mango sorbet is a traditional dessert for many of the countries in South America.  And, it's super easy to make at home!  We combined two recipes to create this new spin on mango sorbet, from Fine Cooking and Healing Cuisine.

He didn't know this picture was making it on the blog.... Thanks B.J.!    : )

Mango Mint Sorbet
Makes 8 Servings

8 cups organic mango, diced and frozen
1/2 cup full fat organic Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp fresh orange zest
1/2 cup fresh squeezed organic orange juice
2 tsp fresh mint, chopped

Put frozen fruit, yogurt, orange zest, orange juice, and mint into blender or food processor.  Puree until creamy, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.  If frozen mangoes don't break down completely, gradually add water as needed through the feed tube while pureeing (a tablespoon or two at a time).  Serve immediately or freeze.  To serve later, allow 10-15 minutes for sorbet to soften at room temperature.

Guest Post: Homemade Oreo Cookies

Y'all are in for a treat today.  I have more desserts to share today, Thursday, and Friday, so keep coming back for some yummy additions to your fall and Christmas dessert spreads!

First, I have to start with a little situation control.  I hate to have to even say this, because so many of you have been with me and supported me since the early months of Healing Cuisine.  I have seen many folks posting my recipes AND my pictures online without my permission and without a backlink.  My work and content (and any blogger's work) is copy written, protected under the Creative Commons License.  Please do not copy and past my recipes onto your Facebook wall.  Please do not take the pictures from my website.  At the very least, please put a backlink to the original page where you found the recipe.  What I would most prefer is that you use the SHARE button on the Healing Cuisine Facebook page to share my content with your friends.  If you would like to use my recipes or articles in any capacity outside of your own kitchen, please email me first to get permission.  I appreciate your respect and understanding.

Okay, moving on to sharing a fabulous recipe shared with me by a fan!  This Guest Recipe comes from Janis Storring of Ontario, Canada.  Her recipe for Homemade Oreo Cookies really hits the sweet tooth.  She uses walnut flour, and I've got to say I do like the flavor of the ground walnuts in the chocolate cookie.  I have tried these with almond flour, too, and they turn out just fine.  I also made a batch using 2 Tablespoons of honey and 1/4 cup xylitol (instead of 1/2 cup xylitol) and I really liked thedm!  The little bit of sugar from the honey allows the cookies to crisp up a bit and hold their crunch (the same method used in my Snickerdoodle Cookies recipe).  Because of the lack of sugar/gluten, nut flours will get soft or soggy shortly after cooling from the oven.  It's up to you if you'd like a crunchy cookie or soft cookie texture.

To cut the perfect circles, invest in some quality cutters, or use the rim of a glass or coffee mug.  These oreo sandwiches depend on uniform cookies.

Store these finished cookie sandwiches in the freezer to prevent the creme filling from melting.  Also, it's easier if you freeze the cookies first for about 15 minutes before spreading on the creme filling

Janis likes to switch up her oreo cookie fillings.  The options are really endless!  You can do ice cream filling, add avocado/chlorophyll and pure mint essential oil for minty creme, swirl in peanut or almond butter, add almond extract and some chopped cherries, or stir in pureed berries!

Thank you, Janis, for sharing your oreo cookie recipe with us!!



Homemade Oreo Cookies
Makes 10 Cookie Sandwiches

COOKIES
1 1/2 cups fine ground walnut flour
1/2 cup pure cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup powdered xylitol
1/2 cup raw butter or coconut oil, solid form
1 free-range egg
1/4 cup raw flax meal
1 scoop protein powder (optional, if omitting replace with 2 Tbsp walnut flour)

CREME FILLING
1/4 cup raw butter, solid form (can replace with coconut oil)
1/4 cup coconut oil, solid form
1/2 cup powdered xylitol
2 tsp pure vanilla

1.)  COOKIES   Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.  In a food processor, pulse together walnut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and xylitol until combined.  Add butter and pulse until small crumbs form.  Add the egg, ground flax, and protein powder.  Pulse until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the food processor.

2.)  Lay a sheet of unbleached parchment paper out on a counter or table.  The dough is a bit sticky, so the paper helps.  You may also wish to chill the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes before rolling out.  Scoop the dough onto the parchment.  Flatten it out a bit with your fingers to get started.  Lay a second sheet of unbleached parchment paper on top of the dough.  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.  Remove the top parchment layer and begin cutting your cookie circles.  Any size diameter you prefer is fine, but I like using the 2 or 2 1/2 inch circles for a more authentic Oreo.  Use a thin cookie spatula to lift the cut circles onto the lined baking sheet.  Repeat the process until all dough is cut.

3.)  Bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes.  Cool completely.  You may find it helpful to freeze the cookies, too, before filling.

4.)  CREME FILLING   In a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, beat butter and coconut oil together until fluffy.  Add powdered xylitol and vanilla.  Continue to beat until the icing is light and fluffy.  Spoon creme into an icing bag or plastic bag and cut off one corner.  Squeeze creme in an even layer onto one cookie and top with another one.  Store in fridge or freezer until ready to eat.

Product Review: Coconut Secret + Guest Recipe

Within the Maximized Living eating style, we strive to eat as cleanly as possible.  We make substitutions where needed, by cutting out food ingredients that will make us sick or make us fat, and replace with the most whole food alternative that will allow our bodies to thrive (e.g. stevia for sugar, coconut/almond flour for all purpose flour, fruits/veggies for food dyes, spiralized zucchini for pasta...).

Another area of substitution is soy.  The problem with soy-anything really is that most all of it throughout the world has been so tampered with by Man that it is very hard to find non-GMO soy and soy products.  On top of that, too much soy in our diet (and where isn't it in packaged foods these days?) can cause an overload of estrogen in the body for both men and women.  The body reads soy as a form of estrogen, and too much can throw your endocrine system into a downward spiral.

Whether you are part of Healing Cuisine because you are in the Maximized Living family, a raw foodie, gluten free eater, or simply interested in eating healthier, you should set a goal to limit, and optimally eliminate, soy consumption.  I have found a product from the company Coconut Secret to help us with the burden of soy.  Their product Raw Coconut Aminos is my new favorite and most trusted alternative to soy sauce!

In my kitchen, ever since Coconut Secret sent me a bottle of their Coconut Aminos to sample, it has replaced my Bragg's brand Liquid Aminos completely!  Two reasons for this:

1.)  Bragg's Liquid Aminos still come from soy.  Personally, I battled endocrine disruption in my body (what I think was PCOS but never had it "diagnosed" in a hospital, and infertility), so I avoid soy at all costs to not undo the hard work my body went through to get healthy again.  Bragg's Aminos was the only soy product left in our house, and while it is certified non-GMO and fermented, it still comes from soy.  I feel safer, personally, using the Coconut Aminos because the amino acids are fermented from organic coconut instead of soybeans.   

2.)  Coconut Aminos taste 10x better than Bragg's.  This is my personal opinion, so definitely come back and comment below letting me know what you all think after trying Coconut Aminos!  I didn't mind the taste of Bragg's too much, but did notice it had a super salty taste compared to traditional soy sauce.  I often had to water it down or use much less, which made it harder for me to perfect recipes to share with you!  I like the rich taste of the Coconut Aminos soooo much more!  It's not as salty and tastes very close to what I remember soy sauce tasting like.  And the proof is in the bottle!  Coconut Aminos has about 30% less sodium content than Braggs Aminos (113mg per teaspoon Coconut Secret to 160 mg per teaspoon Braggs).  In Bragg's brand, the sodium forms naturally through the fermentation process of the soy, and Coconut Secret adds sea salt, but either way it's a lot of sodium to be adding to one meal.  The less the better!  Also, Coconut Aminos are certified organic, raw, gluten-free, contain 17 of the essential amino acids, mineral rich, dairy-free, sugar-free, vegan, Advanced Plan friendly, and as I just said, soy-free.

I use these Coconut Aminos on everything -- stir fry, kale chips, zucchini noodles, meat marinade, soups and stews, salads, and anything savory that needs a little notch up in flavor.  Give it a try in your next recipe.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!  You can find Coconut Secret's Coconut Aminos at your local health food store, co-op, Whole Foods, by searching their database for a store near you, or on Amazon.com.

Here is a recipe from my friend Kim T. that I love to use the Coconut Aminos in.  She shared this frugal and nutritious side dish with me many months ago, and I have been saving it to share with my review of this product.  The recipe is called Broccoli Coins, and it is made from slicing the stalks of fresh broccoli into coin shapes.  Never waste the most nutritious part of the broccoli again!

Broccoli Coins
Makes 4 Servings

6 fresh broccoli stalks, florets removed
filtered water
ice
1-2 tsp Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos
1/3 cup raw hemp seeds
2 Tbsp raw sesame seeds
1/4 tsp pure liquid stevia (optional)

1.)  Fill a large pot with filtered water and bring to a boil.  With a vegetable peeler, peel the tough outer edge of the broccoli stems away.  Slice the broccoli stems into coins, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

2.)  Add the broccoli coins into the boiling water.  Boil for 3-5 minutes, just blanching to take away the raw taste.  Dump into strainer, draining the boiling water.  Then immediately submerge the strainer of broccoli coins into a bowl of ice water (to stop the cooking and leave nutrients intact).

3.)  Once cool, transfer to serving bowl and toss with Coconut Aminos, hemp seeds, and sesame seeds.  If you think it is too bitter, you can add  1/4 tsp stevia.  Serve cold or room temp.


You can find all products offered by Coconut Secret here at their website.  I hope you enjoy this new healthy find!