Category Archives: Dairy-Free

Hazelnut Cocoa

February 23, 2015Dairy-Free, Dessert, Drinks, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Hazelnut Cocoa
Recipe Redux – February, 2015: Favorite Chocolate Matches

Winter has not been gentle or kind this year to those of us in the Northeast. Freezing temperatures, several feet of snowfall, and blistery winds makes everyone want to hide indoors in front of an open fire. No drink is better suited for fairing snowstorms than a hot cup of cocoa. But relying on processed brands often means having a cup filled with more sugar than chocolate.

Making your own cocoa from scratch is rather easy. If you can bring liquid to a boil and stir, then you will easily master this recipe in no time. And some of my favorite matches with chocolate are included here: hazelnut, vanilla, cayenne and cinnamon. One sip and they are sure to become your favorites too.

To ensure your chocolatey drink is loaded with healthy antioxidants, choose a cocoa powder that is non-alkalinized, as the alkaline process destroys the antioxidants in chocolate (hint: dutch cocoa is processed with alkaline).

This recipe calls for hazelnut milk, which in my humble opinion is the tastiest nut milk around. Many groceries and health food stores carry it, but if you can’t find hazelnut you could substitute almond milk, but you won’t have as rich and creamy a cocoa as you can get with using the hazelnut milk. One caveat: all hazelnut milks I have found available on the market have phosphate additives added. If you have renal issues or need to watch your phosphate intake, substitute the hazelnut milk with an alternative milk not containing phosphate additives. If anyone reading knows of a brand of hazelnut milk without phosphate additives, please do share with us in the commentary section below!

The recipe is for one, but can be easily doubled or tripled.

INGREDIENTS

hazelnut cocoa, hot, chocolate, dessert, drink, easy, vegan, vegetarian, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare — Decadence in a glass with a healthy twist

1 cup Hazelnut milk
2 teaspoons Cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Turbonado sugar
1/8 teaspoon Vanilla extract
pinch Cinnamon
pinch Cayenne pepper

PREPARATION
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add all the ingredients. Stir continually until bringing to a boil. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Makes one 8-ounce serving.
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Smokey Vegged-Out Chili

January 22, 2015Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, Soup, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Smokey Vegged-Out Chili
Recipe Redux – January, 2015: Smoking in the New Year

Looking for a tasty, healthy dish to shake off that winter chill? Nothing heats things up better inside than diving into a hot, spicy bowl of chili. My version here is bursting with veggies and spices. It’s also great served over brown rice, quinoa, millet or any other delicious whole grain. This recipe is for about 10 servings, and, as long as you have an extra-large pan, you can easily double the recipe with success to feed a really large group.

nutrition, veggies, dietitian, nutritionist, black bean, chili, healthy kitchen, recipe, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, chef, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free — Smoky Vegged-out Chili

If you want to keep things mild, do not include the jalapeno seeds. For medium heat, through in about 1/3 the seeds of one jalapeno pepper. Want the painfully hot firehouse-hot chili? Then throw in even more jalapeno seeds and double the cayenne pepper- oh my, lookout!

INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon Olive oil
1 large White onion, peeled, diced
1 large Orange bell pepper, cored, diced
2 medium Carrots, peeled, diced
1-2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded (or use for extra heat) minced
1 large Corn ear, shucked (about 1 cup kernels)
1 medium Zucchini, diced
1 pound Mushrooms, white or crimini, diced (two 8-ounce packages)
1 tablespoon EACH Chili Powder, Cumin (ground), Smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon EACH Salt, Cayenne pepper, Black pepper
15 ounce container Tomatoes, No sodium added, diced, in liquid
1/2 cup Water
2 1/2 cups Black beans, cooked (or about 1 1/2 cans, rinsed well)
5 tablespoons Sour cream (omit if preparing vegan or dairy-free)
1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
1 medium Avocado, peeled, cored, sliced

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, carrot and jalapeno (plus the seeds if using) and saute over medium-high heat about 6 minutes, or until the onions become translucent. Add the spices and cook another 2 minutes, stirring well. Add the corn, zucchini and mushrooms and cook another 7 minutes, stirring often. Add in the tomatoes with its liquid, black beans and water and bring everything to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook 20 minutes.

To garnish, top with 1/2 tablespoon sour cream (if using), a few slices of avocado and 1/6 of the cilantro.

Makes 10 servings.

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Almond Cakes “to go” with Quinoa & Cranberry

August 23, 2014Baked Goods, Breakfast, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Grain/Whole Grains, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Almond Cakes “to go” with Quinoa and Cranberry
The Recipe Redux – August, 2014: Bars and Bites for Brown Bags

For many families, the end of August also marks the return of school. Trying to come up with healthy options that are easy to transport, and which the kids will enjoy, can often feel like a daunting task.

These Almond “to-go” Cakes will make for a tasty, healthy addition to any brown bag. Kids love them because they are shaped like cookies, yet are moist and delicious like a cake. Moms love them because they are loaded with whole grains (buckwheat, quinoa and oats). These also make for a wonderful, healthful breakfast treat. I used tri-colored quinoa when I baked these, but any color quinoa will work fine in this recipe.

health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian, snack, baked good, quinoa, cranberry, cake, mini, almond, lunch, brunch, breakfast, treat, to go — Your whole family will enjoy these palm-sized treats!

For extra fun, let the kids make their own designs on top of the cakes with the almonds just before baking. Over lunch they can show off their art work to their friends.

Many recipes for cakes and cookies often call for a stick or more of regular butter. This version replaces butter with mashed pumpkin and olive oil, which really cuts back the total saturated fat.

Almond to-go cakes Quinoa and Cranberry, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, snack, baked good, treat, breakfast, lunch, brunch, multigrain, whole grain — Almond cakes to-go with Quinoa and Cranberry: serve with fruit for a perfect snack!

To make the date paste: soak dates in enough water to cover them for 1-2 hours, then process dates and water until smooth in a food processor.

For delicious recipe variations: fold in 1/2 cup of shredded coconut or 3/4 cup chocolate chips into the mix just before shaping cookies. Dried cherries also taste great in place of the cranberries.

Happy Healthy Baking!

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup Almond flour
1/2 cup Tapioca flour
1/3 cup Buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Xanthan gum
3/4 cup Pumpkin, mashed
2/3 cup Date paste
2 large Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Almond extract
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 cup Quinoa, cooked
1 cup Oats, old fashioned, gluten-free
1 cup Cranberries, dried, fruit-sweetened
1/4 cup Almonds, sliced

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder and soda, salt and Xanthan gum.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer on low, whisk together pumpkin, date paste, eggs, and extracts until mixture is light and frothy. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while mixing. Beat in flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time. With a spatula, stir in cooked quinoa, oats, and cranberries. Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, spoon portions onto parchment-lined cookie sheet. Gently press slice almonds into tops of cookies.

Bake to-go cakes for 15-20 minutes, or until cookies spring back to the touch. Place cakes on cookie rack to cool.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Lavender-Almond Pudding

June 22, 2014Dairy-Free, Dessert, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Lavender-Almond Pudding
Recipe Redux – June, 2014: Foods in Bloom

How nice to have summer upon us once again! The new season blooms with new life. With so many beautiful, fresh flowers everywhere, they inspire their usage in cuisine.

One of my favorite blooms to play with in the kitchen is lavender. The scent is wonderful, and it can add a great depth to many dishes, both sweet and savory. The trick : do not add to much of this fragrant floral, or your dish may turn out tasting soapy.

Instead of the usual whole milk, I substituted with almond milk in this pudding, which lightens up both the fat and calories for this dessert, plus the nuttiness makes for a lovely complement to the lavender. Fragrant vanilla enhances the flavor profile even more.
health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian, pudding, almond lavender, dessert
When shopping for almond milk, I suggest reading the ingredients label to make sure your product does not contains phosphorous additives. While phosphorous is a necessary nutrient, we do get plenty naturally in our foods and do not generally need supplementation. Too much phosphorous intake can be lead to bad news for our bone health, and can also spell out trouble for anyone with kidney issues.

To check for phosphorous additives, look for any ingredient with “phos” in the name (examples: calcium phosphate, orthophosphoric acid, trisodium diphospate). Fortunately, there are still companies that produce almond milk without phosphorous additives (although other types of alternative milks, including hemp and oat, can be harder to find without this troublesome ingredient added).

Serve pudding with an almond tuile cookie to add some crunch.

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons Corn starch
2 1/4 cups Almond milk*
1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt (I used Himalayan Pink salt)
1/2 tablespoon Vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Lavender

PREPARATION

Add the cornstarch to a medium saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the almond milk, and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved and there are no clumps. Add the sugar, salt and lavender to pan and stir over medium high heat. Slowly pour in the remainder of the almond milk while stirring. Bring to a boil and gently boil for one minute while stirring constantly. Take pudding off heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour into small ramekins and chill.

Serve chilled.

Makes 6-8 servings.

*Note: If preparing gluten-free, make sure your almond milk has no added gluten.

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Lamb “Sausage” Burgers with Quinoa-Polenta Cakes

March 22, 2014Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Grain/Whole Grains, The Recipe Reduxchefmichelle

Lamb “Sausage” Burgers with Quinoa-Polenta Cakes
Recipe Redux – March, 2014: A Play on Patties

This is a great recipe for anyone that has been trying to keep a healthy diet, but really misses the taste of sausage. Traditional sausage links and patties are commonly loaded with fat and salt, which, if regularly consumed, could potentially spell out bad news for your heart health. But what really makes a sausage great is not the loads salt or fat, but instead the delicious spice blends used in its preparation.

Lamb Sausage Patties with quinoa-Polenta Cakes, Lemon-Cucumber Sauce, sliced cucumber, diced pepper and fresh parsley

With the right spice combo and some lean ground meat, you can easily make your own delicious sausage patties. This version uses lamb, but in your own kitchen you can also make sausage patties with lean beef, chicken, turkey or pork. Including some cayenne powder will give you a spicy patty; the recipe is delicious made without it too.

If using 93% or leaner meat, make sure to lightly spray your pan with olive oil spray so that the burger does not stick. I usually fry the Quinoa-Polenta Cakes right in the same pan as my burgers so that I have less to clean afterwards.

For even bolder flavor, heat the fennel seeds, paprika, mustard and cayenne in a dry pan over medium heat to toast the spices. Cool them before mixing with the ground lamb and herbs.

The pre-cooked polenta roll is really easy to find, as most stores carry it. Do buy the kind that also has quinoa mixed in the log, so that you get the extra nutrition and deliciousness. Tip:Slice through the polenta slowly, or the quinoa seeds will send your knife traveling in the wrong direction!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 Pound Lamb, lean, ground
1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon Parsley, dried
1/4 teaspoon Smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon Mustard, dried, ground
1/4 teaspoon Oregano, dried
1/4 teaspoon Celery Seeds
1/8 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne powder (optional)
Pinch of Salt
1/3 package Quinoa-Polenta roll, precooked, sliced into 4 discs
as needed Olive oil spray
Lemon-Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
4 small Baby cucumber slices
1 mini Red pepper, seeded and diced
1 small bunch Fresh parsley leaves
As needed Black pepper, fresh ground

PREPARATION
Using your hands, in a small bowl mix together well the ground beef with the fennel, parsley, paprika, mustard, oregano, celery seed and cayenne (if using). Form 4 patties with the ground lamb. Sprinkle salt over the outside of the lamb patties.

Lightly spray a heated large fry pan with olive oil. Add the quinoa-polenta cakes and cook over a medium-high heat. After a couple minutes, add the lamb to the pan and grill until the cakes are heated through and the patties reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees. (The polenta should finish cooking first) Make sure to flip over everything half-way through cooking.

Place the quinoa-polenta cakes on a plate. Top each cake with a lamb patty. drizzle some lemon-cucumber yogurt sauce over each patty and top with a slice of cucumber, some diced red pepper and fresh parsely leaves. Grind some fresh ground pepper over the patty/cake stacks and serve.

Makes 4 stacks.
Serving size: 1 stack.

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Thai Basil Smoothie

February 23, 2014Dairy-Free, Drinks, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Fruit, Multi-Veggie, Raw Food, Salad/Side, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Thai Basil Smoothie
Recipe Redux – February, 2014: Beverages are Hot!

Sometimes it’s simply easier drink a meal than to eat it.

Blenderizing your fruits and veggies has the added benefit of making many of the nutrients easier for your body to digest and absorb. Maximize your next salad’s nutrition potential by tossing it in your high powered blender!

This Thai Basil Smoothie is a great example of a blended salad, and is sure to satisfy your savory tooth. Add extra chili to make it extra spicy (but do taste-test first as Thai chilis are HOT!) To make it less spicy, include less of the chili seeds. If you can’t get Thai basil or Thai chilies, then substitute with regular basil or slices of Serano peppers.

Thai Basil Smoothie, drink, vegan, vegetarian, savory breakfast, snack, raw, dairy free, vegetables, health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, couneling, healthcare, gluten free, drink — Thai Basil Smoothie

The addition of olive oil is important because its fat helps with absorption of the produce’s fat-soluable vitamins. If you don’t want to use olive oil then substitute with a wedge of healthy avocado instead.

INGREDIENTS
18 medium Grape tomatoes
3/4 cup Baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup Thai basil leaves
1/4 cup Cilantro leaves
1 small Scallion, cut into thirds
1 small Thai chili pepper, fresh,stem removed
1/4 medium Red bell pepper, seeded, sliced
1 tablespoon Lime juice
1 cup Water
1 pinch Sea salt
1 teaspoon Olive oil, extra virgin

PREPARATION
Toss all ingredients except olive oil into a high-powered blender. Blend ingredients at medium power for about 15 seconds, then turn speed to high and run machine until everything is blended together smoothly. Turn speed back down to medium and slowly drizzle in the olive oil while blending. Serve in a tall, chilled glass.

Makes 1 tall, or 2 small, servings.

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Healthy in the Kitchen

Every Meal is Opportunity to Nourish your Body

Category Archives: Dairy-Free

Hazelnut Cocoa

Smokey Vegged-Out Chili

Almond Cakes “to go” with Quinoa & Cranberry

Lavender-Almond Pudding

Lamb “Sausage” Burgers with Quinoa-Polenta Cakes

Thai Basil Smoothie