Sweet Treat Chocolate Pudding

Sweet Treat Chocolate Pudding                                                                                                           By: Trisha Mandes, MPHN                                                                                                                      Prep and cook time:  20 minutes                                                                                                       Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb silken tofu
• 1 c 48% cocoa chocolate chips
• 1/4 c brown rice syrup

Directions

1.  Blend tofu in a blender until smooth.

2.  Prepare a double boiler to melt the chocolate chips.  To do this, place a metal mixing bowl over top of a sauce pot that holds enough water without hitting the top of the mixing bowl.  Bring water to a simmer.

3.  Add the blended tofu, chocolate chips and brown rice syrup to the double boiler (place in warm metal mixing bowl that's on-top of the simmering sauce pot).  Constantly stir the mixture with a high heat spatula.  Be sure to constantly scrape the bottom to ensure all of the chocolate is removed and all ingredients blend evenly.  Stir until evenly melted and blended.  About 8 minutes. 

4.  Remove bowl from sauce pot.  Let sit for a few minutes to slightly cool.  Place covered in the fridge for at least 2 hours.  

5.  Enjoy as is, sprinkled with black finishing salt or as a dip for fresh fruit, or as an addition to banana ice-cream.  

What do you think?  Please click 'comment' below and let me know how you enjoy Sweet Treat Chocolate Pudding.  xoxo

How to Make Creamy Tahini Mashed Potatoes

This is one of my favorite oil-free vegan (and delicious!) culinary wonders that my husband has made yet.  We've enjoyed it as a dinner with creamy mushroom gravy and sautéed kale, served it to multiple groups in the Columbia's Cooking kitchen classroom, for Thanksgiving with 3 different types of gravy (I really love gravy) and most recently, with our family as part of our Christmas meal.  It's fairly simple and pleases all crowds.  I encourage you to try Erik's recipe, then answer the Take Control Now Question below and let us know what you think.  We'd love to hear from you!

Creamy Tahini Mashed Potatoes           

By: Erik Hoffman                                                                                                                              Serves: 4                                                                                                                                               Prep + cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes (peeled and quartered)
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 large onion diced
• ⅔ c vegetable stock
• 2 T tahini
• 1 c unsweetened almond milk
• salt
• white pepper

Directions

1. Prepare your mis en place (all of the ingredients prepped and cut).  

2. Start the potatoes.

Add prepared russet potatoes to a large pot and cover with at least two inches of water.  Salt liberally (at least 2 tablespoons). Place on stove top and turn heat to high. Cook uncovered until water comes to a boil (begin step 2).

Check potatoes three minutes after the water begins to boil. You want potatoes to be tender and have a starchy, translucent look.  They should be tender enough to cut through with a spoon with very little resistance. At this point, remove from stove and strain through a colander. Return potatoes back to pot or transfer into a large mixing bowl.  Cover to keep warm and set aside.

3.  Begin potato mixture.

In a small sauce pot, cook onions and garlic in ⅓ cup vegetable stock over medium heat until tender and liquid is almost gone.  Add to the onions and garlic, ⅔ cup almond milk and the remaining the vegetable stock.  Bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, turn down to a simmer and add 2 tablespoons tahini. Mix well to incorporate tahini.  Once tahini has been stirred in, add the mixture to the potato pot.

4.  Mash the taters.

Mash potatoes well with the liquid. I use a rigid spoon and mix vigorously until the potatoes become very creamy.  You can also use a potato masher or hand blender if you want.  Once the potatoes are to a consistency of your liking, add the final ⅓ cup of almond milk and stir in until you have a very smooth result.  Season your creamy tahini potatoes with salt and pepper to your liking (I prefer the spice of white pepper in my mashed potatoes over plack pepper) and enjoy.

Then answer today's Take Control Now question by clicking 'comment' below.

Take Control Now Question

What did you and your family think of Erik's recipe?  Would you do something different?  Other thoughts to share?

The Difference Between Processed and Refined Foods

It's a general rule of thumb that 'processed foods are bad for you.'  If you stay away from processed foods, you'll be doing yourself a health favor right?

Generally, this is true, but precisely, it is not.  

Why?  Because some processed foods are really good for you AND they can help you eat more whole-grains, fruits, veggies and legumes, foods mostly all Americans need to eat more of.  

So, how can you tell the difference between a processed food that's good for you and one that isn't?

It's actually a matter of vocabulary.  You need to know the difference between a processed food and a refined food.  When the word 'processed' is thrown around, it generally means refined.

A refined food is a food that doesn't contain all of its original nutrients.  You can't pick a refined food out of the garden and eat it (it's not a whole food).  

Refined foods include oil, sugar, white flour and products made of these ingredients.  Examples include white and wheat breads, cakes, pastries, pretzels, cookies, most wraps, chips, Doritos etc. 

A processed food is simply a food that has gone through a process.  A processed food can be a refined food, however it can also be a healthy whole food that has simply been chopped, rolled or ground, aka gone through a process.

A processed food could be good for you or bad for you.  It depends on whether it's a processed whole food or a processed refined food.

Processed foods that are bad for you include white bread, most 'wheat' breads, chips, cookies, most crackers, cakes and treats.  These processed foods are bad for you because they contain refined ingredients.  You aren't eating a whole food or a food made from just whole foods.

Processed foods that are good for you include 100% whole-grain breads, crackers, pitas, pastas, ground corn tortillas or other 100% whole-grain products.  Additionally, rolled or steal cut oats, dried fruit or frozen vegetables are also health enhancing processed foods.  They've all gone through a process, but the food still contains 100% of its original nutrients, unlike refined foods.  

Kapeesh?  If you have any questions about processed versus refined foods, ask in the comments section or contact me.  I'd love to hear from you :)

Take Control Now Question

What healthy processed foods do you enjoy eating?  What unhealthy refined foods are you still eating regularly that you shouldn't?  

Answer by clicking 'comments' below.