Low Carb, Less Sugar Chocolate Syrup

I have been a fan of chocolate milk since I was a kid. For some reason I have fond memories of my Dad making chocolate milk for me when we ate spaghetti, I couldn't tell you if this only happened once and it made an impression or if it was a regular pattern, but I often long for a glass of chocolate milk as soon as the meaty tomato sauce smell hits the table. Of course when I was a kid store bought chocolate syrup was still made out of sugar. Now it is GMO high fructose corn syrup and a huge list of chemicals. I have been making homemade chocolate syrup for a few years now.

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Coconut Gelatin

I was originally on a quest to see if I could make a healthier Maja Blanca (a Filipino dessert made out of coconut milk). Maja Blanca uses a lot of cornstarch to thicken it and help it set as well as a lot of sugar (and sometimes corn on top of that). While reading and researching I came across a Burmese dish that uses the same basic ingredients as Maja Blanca except that the thickening agent was gelatin. Gelatin has such an amazing nutrient profile (real gelatin like Great Lakes or Bernard Jensen) especially compared to cornstarch that I jumped ship and made Coconut Gelatin instead. This treat is NOT very sweet, the flavors of the coconut milk and raw cream shine through and are not obstructed by vanilla or lots of sugar. This dessert is simple and can be made in less than 10 minutes, but has to set in the fridge for an hour or two. Filled with healthy fats, protein from the gelatin and a smidge of coconut sugar and stevia I served it to my children for snack time (alongside some mandarins) knowing that they weren't going to have a sugar high for the rest of the afternoon.

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Key Lime Freezer Bars

Today I have another fast and easy treat, it takes about 10 minutes to whip up with a baby on your hip and a four year old "helper" (at least the two year old was napping), but about 30 minutes to an hour for these beauties to set in the freezer. I call them freezer bars but in reality you can store them in the fridge as well, I just like the extra cold sensation for this recipe. I was inspired after trying a key lime mousse (maybe pudding?) recipe from these grain-free meal plans (back when I had a discretionary fund), I was really bad about saving the plans so I don't have the recipe, but that was the first time I had ever heard of using avocado in a dessert. I use a tiny bit of honey in this recipe because I really like the flavor (I just don't think maple would work as well). I have been trying to ease up on honey in my recipes because it is so high in fructose and therefore raises blood sugar. This recipe has lots of healthy fat that will help keep blood sugar levels stable despite the teaspoon of honey.

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Coconut Flour Cookies with Chocolate

I found this recipe over the summer when I was making meal plans for my parents while they started their grain free endeavor (which seems to be going pretty well for them). I was helping them plan out basic meals and then making some grain free baked goods to go along with their meals. When I tried the cookies as they were originally written I couldn't get over the stevia taste (I was probably using a subpar brand of stevia). So on my next batch I played around with the amount of stevia, but it still didn't taste right. However the addition of orange flavored dark chocolate eliminated the slight bitterness that can accompanying stevia, making this a pretty easy grain free cookie, the hardest part is waiting for them to cool down enough to smear chocolate on them and eat them

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Raspberry Lemon Mousse

 

I am kicking off my October of real food, mostly grain free, low sugar treats with this easy 5 minute concoction that could find its way to a breakfast table, snack time, and of course, dessert.  Technically this is a mock mousse, as it isn't made from whipped cream or egg whites. I don't really have a better name for this treat and honestly my mouth doesn't really care what it is called. The raspberry seeds and the ricotta make the mousse raw and a little coarse to go with the creamy, while the tangy lemon enhances the sweet raspberries. Very easy and definately yummy.

 Raspberry Lemon Mousse

 

15oz whole milk ricotta

2 TBSP sour cream

1 TBSP lemon juice

zest from half a lemon

1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries (you can use fresh, but you might want to chill the dish before serving)

2 egg yolks from pastured hens (you can add two additional yolks without losing the consistancy, if you want more nutrition)

Liquid stevia to taste (I used about 5 drops of SweetLeaf, but add this last so you can taste and adjust)

I use an immersion (handheld) blender, so I just toss everything into a bowl and whirl it into a fluffy mousse like consistency. A blender or food processer should work as well, but then clean up isn't quite as easy.

Serves 4

Per Serving:        253 calories         11g carbohydrates           17g fat                  14g protein         3g sugar (according to myfitnesspal.com)