Adventures in the Kitchen # 12: Raw Chocolate Pudding

Photo Credit

This is an emergency post!!! I just HAD to write this ASAP after I tried this latest recipe.....it was beyond amazing and I couldn't believe that is could taste so good with the ingredients it called for. This is so healthy I actually served this to my 5 year old as an appetizer one night. This Raw Chocolate pudding has fruits, healthy fats, raw natural sugars and healthy oils....a perfect combination of health and decadence....and they'll never guess what's inside!

Adventures in the Kitchen # 12

Raw Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients
- 2 avocados (peel and scoop out the insides)
- 1 ripe banana, peeled
- 1/4 Cup Raw honey
- 3 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil
- 1/3 Cup Cocoa powder
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 Teaspoon of sea salt

 Directions
- Combine ingredients in a blender and puree until everything is combined.
- Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Taken from www.thenourishinggourmet.com

**We gobbled this up and licked the bowl with our fingers.....so simple, so tasty and so easy.

Adventures in the Kitchen # 10: Healthy Fudge

When I first heard that there were black beans in this recipe.....I was skeptical....how could black beans make anything a dessert?? However, I was pleasantly surprised and have now served this dessert to several of our dinner guests and to my family. Everyone raves about how good it is and I usually end up giving them a copy of the recipe.....so this time, I am going to share it with all of you!! This is one of the simplest dessert recipes made from natural, healthy ingredients that I know of.  It takes 5 minutes to make and is certain to please even the most skeptical critic......just don't tell them what the ingredients are and see what they think.....I'll bet they'll ask for seconds. Without further adue....

Adventures in the Ktichen # 9: Black Bean Fudge

Prep: 5 minutes
Serves: 6 (very rich so small portions are best)

Ingredients

- 1/3 Coconut Oil melted
- 2/3 Cup Cocoa powder
- 1 Can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 Cup honey

Directions

1. Add all ingredients into blender
2. Blend until smooth consistency (approx. 1 min - scrape sides with spatula)
3. Spoon into 8x8 greased pan, refrigerate until mousse-like consistency
4. Serve Chilled

Another chocolate favorite in our house.....the kids l-o-v-e this fudge. The consistency is more like mousse so instead of cutting squares, I spoon portions into little dessert bowls.  I shake some rainbow sprinkles on top and the girls gobble it up. Many a guest has tasted this rich, creamy, decadent dessert and loved it! This is one of my 'go-to' desserts when we are having guests for dinner. 

Have you made this dessert before? If you make this, let me know how it turns out! 
Any other natural, healthy, delicious desserts out there? Please share!

Adventures in the Kitchen # 9: Crock Pot Applesauce

The annual Henderson apple pick took place about 2 weeks ago......we went to this cute little apple farm and picked two bags of juicy macintosh apples....for $6. Amazing. We made an apple pie for some dinner guests and ate a bunch for snacks but we are huge applesauce fans, so I decided to try my hand at making applesauce in the crock pot this year.....I LOVE the crockpot....nothing like coming home or waking up to a house that smells delicious! The girls and I made this just before their bedtime and it was ready at 7am the next day. We have been enjoying home made applesauce ever since....

Adventures in the Kitchen # 10: Crock Pot Applesauce

Prep: 25 min (less if you own an apple corer/peeler)
Cook: 8 - 10 hours
Yields: 4 cups of applesauce

Apple + Cinnamon = Autumn

- 20 medium sized apples, peeled, cored, cut into chunks
- 3/4 Cup of water
- 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon
- 1 Cup of Sucanat (I would use 3/4 Cup next time as it was sweet!)

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours
3. Place sauce into a blender, blend until smooth.

This recipe was easy but time consuming as I do not own an apple corer/peeler and had to peel each individual apple by hand. It might be wise to invest in one if you cook with apples often (I did some research and they seem to range from $21 - $25) as it will cut down your prep time considerably. Other than that....this applesauce was smooth, sweet and made my house smell like fall. I would most definitely make this recipe again (use a bit less sucanat) and my family would agree. The way we are going through our batch.....I will have to make some more soon! 

Any other fall recipes that are an annual event in your house?

* Adapted from the recipe "Crock Pot Applesauce" from cooks.com

Homemade Fruit Roll-ups

Now that Kaitlyn is in school, I have been researching some healthy snack ideas for Kaitlyn to take with her each day.  There are a large variety of snacks available in the stores......but most are super unhealthy and overpriced, so I thought that I would choose some store bought snacks that appealed to the kids (and us!) and try to find healthier, homemade and cheaper alternatives. If you have any homemade, yummy snack recipes.....please share with me!! :)

Adventures in the Kitchen # 7: Homemade Fruit Roll-ups

From this......

To this.....very simple, easy to follow recipe.

There are a bunch of steps involved with this recipe (don't be scared....it's super easy) and pictures will help you understand what to do, so go check out this amazingly easy, healthy and cheap recipe here.

** My Kids gobbled this snack up and wanted more and more! With no preservatives, artificial dyes or colors.....this treat is a perfect choice for a snack on the go. 

Adventures in the Kitchen # 4: Moroccan Chicken Couscous

So I am currently obsessed with the following spices: cinnamon, cumin, coriander and turmeric.....and will basically cook anything that uses those spices....they give such a yummy, rich, flavourful taste in your mouth.....and this recipe meets all my expectations. I ended up substituting Quinoa for the couscous just because I wanted the extra protein (cooked the Quinoa in a separate pot, which allowed for the extra juices from the chicken and veggies to be used as a sauce for the Quinoa....YUM!).  Easy to prepare, and so beyond delicious! Enjoy!

Moroccan Chicken Couscous

Serves: 4 -6
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 36 minutes

A bowlful of flavour!

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 Cup sliced almonds
3/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 Bunch green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 Zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced
2 Carrots, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced
1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Teaspoon ground cumin
1 Teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 Teaspoon turmeric
1 1/4 Cups low sodium chicken broth
1 Large tomato, chopped
1/2 Can chickpeas, drained
1/2 lemon, zest peeled into 1/2 inch thick strips, juice to taste
1/3 Cup raisins
3/4 Cup whole wheat coucous

Directions
1. Warm oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add almonds, toast until golden (2 min). Using slotted spoon, transfer them to a bowl.
2. Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, add to pot and cook until browned (10 min). Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate. Add the green onions, zucchini, carrots and cook for 6 min. Mix the cinnamon, cumin, coriander and turmeric, saute 1 min.
3. Add the chicken stock, tomato, chickpeas, lemon zest and raisins, bring to a simmer. Return chicken to pot, cover and simmer for 10 min. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and vegetables to a serving bowl. Season with lemon juice, cover and keep warm.
4. Add the couscous to the liquid remaining in the pot, cover and turn off heat. Let rest 5 min, fluff couscous with a fork. Serve chicken and vegetables over couscous, garnished with almonds, extra raisins and shredded coconut.

Taken from Fitness Magazine, October 2011.

My hubbie enjoyed this one....our plates were so clean I considered putting them back in the cupboard without washing! :) As for the kiddos, Lily gobbled it up after loading on some more raisins and coconut and Kaitlyn took a bit more convincing. How food "looks" is a big deal for her....if something looks weird, she says she doesn't like it, but once she tried a bit or two....she mustered enough courage to finish half of her portion. So the final conclusion for our family is that I would definitely make this again.....4 out of 5 people gobbled it up (Grandma was with us for dinner too) which is a winner in my books!

Adventures in the Kitchen Week 2

Alright....this time I am venturing into the world of Quinoa (Keen-wa) for a "warm up your insides" kind of stew for a cold winter day. We ate this for lunch with some cut up veggies on the side.

Adventures in the Kitchen Recipe # 2

Quinoa, Carrot and Lentil Stew
Prep time: 10 min  Serves: 4

Not my picture but is the same yumminess as mine.

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Quinoa
1/2 Cup Red Lentils
4 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock
1 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cups Sliced Carrots
1 Cup Diced Red Onion (I used yellow onion)
2 Teaspoons Minced Fresh Garlic
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Coriander
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Diced Red Bell Pepper
2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro (*I didn't include this)

Combine the quinoa, lentils, stock and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the carrots, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the red pepper and cook 5 more minutes.
*Add the cilantro. Serve immediately.

Taken from Quinoa, the Everyday Superfood 365.

This is a recipe I have made twice now....and it was so good both times! The adults in my life loved it (hubs and mom-in-law and me!). As for the kids....Kaitlyn ate a kid sized bowl and seemed to like it enough to finish and after adding raisins Lily ate it til the raisins were all gone. You know what they say....keep trying and they may just end up liking it! No heat from spices, hearty and packed with 2 of nature's protein sources makes this stew a cheap, easy, healthy and yummy lunch.

Adventures in the Kitchen: Week 1

Meal Variety has always been a struggle for me. I have a fairly decent repertoire of meals that we circulate through but I am a bit bored with them. I've been making them now for almost 8 years.  So, I've decided to embark on a recipe finding adventure......my goal is to try (and post) at least one new recipe a week.....goals being healthy, fairly easy (using ingredients commonly found in any kitchen), and enjoyed by my food critics (my family!). I'll make sure to include honest and helpful reviews. Hope this helps you moms out there who are just as tired as me with Meatloaf Monday, Taco Tuesday.... :) 

Adventures in the Kitchen Recipe # 1

No-Fuss Moroccan Chicken

Prep Time: 15 min    Serves: 4    

Ingredients

1.5 lbs. of chicken halves (I used chic. breasts...I am a wimp when it comes to bones!)

2 T of oil (I used coconut oil)

1/2 Cup chopped onion

1 Garlic clove (I am a garlic junkie so I used 4 cloves, freshly pressed)

2 Cups Salsa (using mild, medium or hot salsa will determine how hot this dish will be)

1/2 Cup Water

Silly me, forgot to take a picture....so this one will have to do!
 Similar image minus the slivered almonds.

1/4 Currants (I substituted raisins...tasted great)

2 Tablespoons honey

1 1/2 Teaspoons Cumin

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 F. Brown chicken in oil and place in baking dish.

Lightly saute onions and garlic. Spoon over chicken.

Combine salsa, water, currants, honey, cumin and cinnamon in a bowl.

Pour over chicken. 

Cover and bake for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with Rice or Couscous.

Rice is always a hit with my family, as is chicken. The girls ate a small helping as I unwisely used a medium heat salsa...a little too hot for tiny tongues. As for the adults, we agreed it was spicy but enjoyed the sweet surprise of the raisins and the flavor of this dish. I would make this dish again, but use mild salsa instead.