Category: ~Snacks~ - Wholesome Chef Mici

Wholesome Chef Mici

Marinated Strawberries

5/16/2018

It's Strawberry Season!!!!

Oh I just love fresh, sweet strawberries, don't you!? My mom used to marinate them in sugar and put them over sponge cake with fresh whipped cream. I think they are good all by themselves! But feel free to put them on pancakes, ice cream, cake, etc...

Strawberries have a strong sour undertone that is balanced by a little sweet. The honey, sugar, or maple with break them down into a lovely syrup. Please pick wisely the type of sugar you use. Cane sugar is a good preserver, but lowers the immune system and leaches minerals from our bones and teeth making us weak. There are plenty of other options for sweet. Do the one that works for you. I'm a honey girl!

16 oz. Fresh Strawberries
1-2 Tbs. Honey or: coconut sugar, date sugar, maple syrup, maple sugar, birch xylitol, date syrup....

Wash and sanitize your berries.

Cut them in slices and add your sweetener to taste.

Stir or toss.

Refrigerate overnight.

It makes a nice syrup.

Enjoy!

SNACKS: store bought

5/24/2017

Snacks! I'm always boasting about making your food fresh from garden or farm ingredients, but as much as I love to cook, I have a busy life and need something to grab once in a while. Most pre-made food gives me the willies with all the excito-toxins and plastic... no thank you. But over the years I have found a few brands that have good ingredients.

Here's a picture image of each one and a little note on how I might use them or other tidbits.

Grain free and nice when you need some crunch! The Jalapeño flavor is lovely crushed up in a salad to add a bit of kick!

These sea salt ones are great but a little on the salty side.

Other flavors:

Rosemary
Cracked pepper
Sun dried tomato
Cheddar
Jalapeno
Everything
Plain

I really dislike Cliff bars in general, but they have a subdivision called Kit's that's really clean and tastes good. Not too sweet. Perfect to keep in your purse.

Other flavors:

Peanut butter
Cashew
Dark chocolate almond-coconut
Chocolate with chili (really yummy!)
Chocolate walnut
Chocolate peanut
Cherry sunflower seed

These trail mixes are sprouted! My favorite is the spicy mango (jalapeño).This wild berry is my second favorite. Fun for a day at the beach or just to have in your day pack if out on a hike.

Other flavors:

Malted Maple
Honey Seracha
Dark Cocoa
Wild Berry
Thai Curry
Manago Goji
White Chocolate
Banana Hemp
Spicy Mango

These are raw and super full of protein! I also love their lemon pie flavor! Crunchy when you first open the bag, but after a day or so, they become soft, so eat 'em up!

Other flavors:

Spirulina Banana
Lemon Pie
Sweet Crunch
Ginger Snap
Choco Crunch
Spiced Chai

I'm Italian, so I just love the taste of chestnuts. This company does nothing but cook and shell them! Perfect little snack. Fills you up and keeps a level head as they are sweet but full of protein to balance it... no crash.

Need sweet crunch? These are awesome. Just apples! We even found them at Costco!

I'm a freak for lemon! This company makes these in a lemon flavor that is off the charts delicious. I don't have a picture, because they don't last long in my fridge! My second favorite is the chocolate chip!

They make little pies, too, but beware. The ones in picture use maple syrup (which is bad enough as far as sweet goes), but some of the pies they put agave in. Agave is a sweetener that has one too many carbons on its molecular chain. It doesn't burn clean. It can have a terrible effect on blood sugar.

I'm not big on chocolate, but this brand and this flavor is super good.

Sweet and salty!

These are made with rice flour. I don't partake in grains often, but this is such a treat! Tastes just like Gnocchi, only better! No gluten reaction.

Summer isn't summer without a hot dog! These are grass-fed and no BS like MSG or maltodextrin! Love this company for offering them at my local grocery store at a reasonable price.

Grain free tortillas that taste so good I have tacos 3-4 times per week. They are soft and hold well when you overfill like I tend to do.

I just love plantain chips! Not all are clean. I react to the ones from Traider Joes and Whole foods. I think they have gluten in the oil that they fry them in. But the Sprouts ones and the Inka chips brand are great. Just 3 ingredients.

Use them like tortilla chips in a taco salad or tortilla soup.

Because I was trained in Macrobiotics, I think I love sea veggies more than one should! This company cooks them in a little sesame oil and sea salt. I feel so good munching on these with all their minerals. Seems to help balance if I have too much sweet.

Favorite flavor of Larabar.

What's yours?

Carrot Cake Truffles

4/19/2017

2 cups Nuts ( I used part Walnut and part Pecan)
1 cup Madjool Dates 8-10
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Apple Pie Spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, all spice mix)
Pinch of Sea Salt
4 drops of Stevia
3 cups Carrot, finely grated
3/4 cup Almond butter
1-2 tbs. Honey or Maple syrup
Almond flour as needed (about 3/4-1 cup)

Cocoa powder or shredded coconut for rolling

My Birthday often fell at Easter growing up and my mom loved to make me a carrot cake shaped like a lamb. So since this year my birthday was a few days before Easter, again, I thought I'd come up with something different that mimicked my mom's idea.

The dessert name "truffle" derives from their traditional shape, which resembles the truffle mushroom. You can roll them in cocoa powder or nuts of choice. Theses carrot ones are mildly sweet with a hint of warm spices. Raw and Vegan. I keep them in the freezer and pull them out a few hours before guests arrive for a quick and delicious snack to serve. Super satisfying.

Makes 40-60 truffles depending on size you roll them into.

Blend your nuts in a food processor until fine.
Add your dates ( I find chopping the dates first, to be helpful on the processor.)

Finely grate your carrot and add all ingredients -minus the almond flour- to the food processor and blend till smooth.

Place mixture in a bowl.

Add enough almond flour to make the "batter" rollable. The amount will depend on many factors like how wet your dates or carrots are or which nuts you use or how oily your almond butter is.

Roll in shredded coconut...

Or cocoa powder.

You can melt chocolate chips and dip your truffles, but I find all that unnecessary. I'm not a big chocolate lover, but please do, if that pleases you.

~Happy Easter!

Raw Mint Macaroons

4/11/2017

Spring is here, and the mint in my garden is happy and abundant! It inspired me to make mint macaroons. You can make these with or without cocoa. The two versions with the same procedures are to follow. Light and not too sweet. Just right.

Makes 20-25 small (1 tbs.) cookies

Chocolate Mint Macaroon: White Mint Macaroon:
1 cup Blanched Almond Flour   1 cup Blanched Almond Flour
1 cup Shredded Unsweetened Coconut 1 cup Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Vanilla   1/2 tsp. Vanilla
3 drops Stevia 3 drops Stevia
1/2 cup Duch Process Cocoa Powder 4-5 tbs. Coconut Oil, melted
4-5 tbs. Coconut Oil, melted 2-3 tbs. Honey or Maple Syrup
2-3 tbs. Honey or Maple Syrup 1/2 tsp. Mint extract
1/2 tsp. Mint extract 1/4 cup Fresh Mint, chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Mint, chopped   1/2 cup GF Chocolate chips
1/2 cup GF Chocolate chips

Place all your ingredients in a bowl.

If you can find the mini chocolate chips, they look the best since this cookie is on the small side.

If making the white mint cookies, wash and finely chop your mint. Then add to the mixture.

Mix everything with a spoon until well combined. You want the "dough" to be slighty wet but also sticky.

If you squeeze some of it, it needs to make a loose ball.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Wet an ice-cream scoop or spoon so the "dough" doesn't stick to it. Then scoop and pat the mixture in tight. Tap the side of the spoon and it should slide right out.

Let it set up in the fridge for an hour (or freezer for 20min). Store in a glass container in the fridge.

Great for a light dessert after a heavy dinner.

Minty goodness!

Raw Nut Bars

4/3/2016

This is a great way to use up any extra raw crust when making tarts. They are a fun snack that you can make in a rainbow of flavors using dried fruit mixed with your choice of nuts and seeds. Adding things like cocoa powder or other nutritious powders to change the outcome. Have fun and make it just right for you!

Leftover Raw Tart Crust or start from scratch:
1 cup soft nut like walnuts, cashews, etc
1 cup hard nut like almonds
6-8 Dried fruit like Dates (Madjool is best) or any other you like
Sea Salt

Optional:
Vanilla or other extract
1 Tbs. cocoa powder or other nutritional powder you like
1 tsp. sweetener, to taste if needed (chocolate can be very bitter!)

Ok... Let's start with the quality of your dried fruit. Some can get mighty dry over time. Almost turning into sugar. If you have a really dry dried fruit, then you will need to pre-soak or hot soak them so they do what they are intended to do.

If they are plump, just use as many as you need to to make the bars sticky.

Soak your fruit over night if you have the time, or cut in half, take out seeds if they have them, and let soak 5-10 min in hot water.

Then drain and chop them into small pieces.

As stated above, Be creative. You don't have to use dates. It could be dried mango or berries...

What ever suits your fancy.

In a food processor, finely chop your nuts into a crunchy consistency. Then add vanilla, dried fruit and salt.

This is the stickiness you need. It should be able to hold together so you can roll it into a bar.

Add any protien powders, maca or cocoa to your mix. You may need additional sweeteners, as well, if using a powder that is bitter.

Here I am using cocoa powder in leftover crust from a tart.

Blend again, quickly to incorporate.

Take a handful of the mixture and roll into a bite sized piece.

Wrap in parchment paper, twisting the sides like a candy wrapper.

Store in the fridge.

Grain Free Pizzelles

12/8/2015

If you have a pizzelle maker, you're my hero! Let's be friends! These cookies are so fun and very traditional at the holidays. The smell of anise and sugar is one from my childhood that makes me smile. It's a very particular association that most Italians have. If you haven't tried them before, call an Italian friend and ask if you can borrow their pizzelle maker to try them out. If you have an ice cream cone maker, you can also use that. (A waffle iron is too deep.) These irons are around $39 online. I chose the entertaining size, but they also come in a larger size.

1 1/4 cup Blanched almond flour (it's important that it's blanched)
2 tsp. Coconut flour
1/2 cup Arrowroot
1/2 cup Maple sugar (or preferred crystal sugar)
1/2 tsp. Baking powder
1 tbs. Anise seeds (or extract -about 2 tsp.)
1/2 cup Grass Fed Butter, melted
3 Medium sized eggs

Optional: Lemon zest

Mortar and pestle or coffee grinder
Pizzelle iron

Grind your seeds. No need to make it too fine.

Heat your iron to level 4 or 5.

Mix your dry ingredients then add your eggs and butter and slowly incorporate until its all evenly distributed.

*I've tried many sugars and many flours. This combination is my favorite. It's not too sweet and doesn't give me a sugar headache. But also makes them light like regular cookies.

Adding a little lemon zest really makes things pop.

You can try it now or after you've made half the batter into cookies, just to compare and see if you like it.

Add about 1 tsp. or so of batter to the center of each little pizzelle. You'll figure out how much exactly you need for your iron.

Too much!

Perfect.

As you close the top, let it rest with gravity for a few seconds to cook before pushing down all the way to clip it shut. This makes for nicely formed cookies that are not too thin.

Try it both ways to see which you like.

This recipe makes 32-36 cookies in my sized iron. Feel free to dust with powdered sugar of choice if needed. I like them just like this.

Make enough to take to your neighbors. After all, that's part of the joy of cookies!

Let the party begin...

Pitaya Smoothie

11/27/2015

Pitaya (also known as Dragon Fruit) is a low glycemic fruit with high fiber from Central America. I have a favorite smoothie at the local juice stop that I've been trying to replicate. It's been difficult because one of their main ingredients is passionfruit juice. Not easy to make or find. I substituted grape and lime. It's almost the same amount of wonderful! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Serves well as a smoothie or make a bowl with added fruit and nuts. ~Serves 1

Just love that Magenta color, don't you?

1 package 3.5oz Frozen Pitaya fruit
1/4 cup Organic frozen strawberries
1/4 cup Organic frozen pineapple (best if you let the fruit ripen yourself and then freeze to be sure its nice and sweet)
1/2 Juicy lime, juiced
1/2 cup Purple grape juice (or more as needed)
2 drops Stevia

Dragon fruit comes in many colors, but you can usually find it in a 4 pack of the purple 3.5oz bags in the freezer section of your local health food store.

Or get one fresh from the market, when in season.

Place all in a blender and blend smooth. Add a little more juice if needed to make it just the right consistency.

What a yummy snack or fun treat when friends come over!

Peanut-Banana Bread Muffins

7/22/2015

Even if you aren't a monkey, who doesn't love a house that smells like bananas, cinnamon and butter!!!??? This recipe is Paleo friendly if you use almond butter instead of the peanut. Either way, it's sure to be a great snack or quick breakfast treat on the go! High in protein and easy on the taste buds.

4-5 Super Ripe Banans
4 Pasture Raised Eggs
6 drops Stevia
1-2 tbs. Sweetener of choice (also nice without any)
6 Tbs. Grass Fed Butter, melted (or coconut oil for the Paleo crowd)
1/2 cup Nut Butter of choice (I used organic chunky peanut here, but any is wonderful!)
1/2 cup Coconut Flour
1/4 cup Almond Flour (or other)
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 tsp. Apple Pie Spice
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. Vanilla
Pinch Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Mash your bananas and add all the rest together in a mixing bowl. Combine well.

Spray and line your muffin tin with oil and fill to the top with batter.

Bake at 350 for 30-40min till firm to the touch.

Oh my!!!!

Yummm Yummm YUMMMM!

Raw Coconut Chia Pudding

4/9/2015

So I started a cleanse this week, the master cleanse to be exact. (Spring is a super time for cleansing) It was a 3 day process to get into it, starting with an all raw day (or living food day some call it). So I made an array of raw dishes with my favorite simple dessert: chia pudding. I added just one ingredient that I don't usually add, which made it worthy to post. Living food days are a great way to help keep your intestines clean and adds that vegetable power back into your diet that a busy lifestyle can sometimes overlook. This is the basic recipe with some optional additions to change the flavor to suite your fancy.

VANILLA RECIPE:
1 can of full fat Coconut milk (13.5 oz)
1/3 cup of Chia seeds
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
4 drops Stevia
1 pinch of Sea Salt
2-3 Tbs. Date syrup or maple or honey (whatever suites you)

CHOCOLATE:
Same as Vanilla recipe but add:
Pinch of Cinnamon
2-3 Tbs. Cocoa powder (I prefer dutch processed over raw)
Or for a richer pudding, melt 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in lieu of the cocoa powder

***Optional: For Chocolate mint add: 5-8 drops of peppermint extract to taste.

COCONUT:
This is my favorite way!!!
Same as the Vanilla recipe but add:
4-5 drops of Coconut extract
3 drops of Almond extract

Garnish with toasted Coconut

FRUITY:
Same as Vanilla recipe but add:
2-3 Tbs. All fruit Jam of choice
And garnish with fresh Fruit!

Mix all in a large bowl. Let set for 1/2-1 hour Stiring occasionally to make sure it doesn't clump. Enjoy!

If there's any left, store it in the fridge. Will thicken upon cooling as coconut milk has saturated fats in it. Heart healthy fats!

Marinated Beets

1/6/2014

I used to really dislike the earthy taste of beets. I've learned to love them by making them sweet from broiling, juicing and marinating them. If you don't like beets, think again. Try them in a new way with new eyes for this new year.

1 large beet
2 tsp. Ume Vinegar or 1 tsp. Sea Salt
1-2 tbs. Red wine vinegar or favorite of choice
2 tbs. Olive or Avocado Oil

Wash and peel your beets. I like to do it in running water.

Then grate them on a fine setting. The finer the sweeter they will be. I use the sink for easy cleanup. Beets can be messy. Try wetting your hands first so the red doesn't stick to you like glue.

Pour in your oil, vinegar, and salt. Let set for 15+ minutes. The hardest part about this dish is the grating. If you have an electric grater, go for it, but they never seem to have the settings to make it fine enough.

Enjoy on top of salad or as a side dish of its own.

Author

Mici is the owner of Wholesome Goodness.

These recipes are focused on wholesome ingredients from the garden or farm with very little sweet if any. They are gluten or grain free and organic, grass-fed or pasture raised.

She menu plans, shops, cooks, cleans and fills the fridge with healthy Gluten-Free meals and naturally sweet desserts!

She also teaches and does personal menu planning for those with restricted diets.

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"I have been richly blessed by Mici’s healing presence in my life. As a facilitator of personal transformation, her passion and dedication to serving others is evident. I have grown tremendously from her gifted use of emotional healing work, nutritional counseling, culinary artistry and organizational skills. She unfailingly demonstrates the highest efficiency and effectiveness, true strength of character, wisdom reaching well beyond her years and a generous heart of gold."

~Gabriella B.