Making Desserts with Less Processed Sugar

Almost all of us love desserts!

Desserts are often loaded with processed sugar, making them a not-so-healthy treat. But there are ways to make desserts using less processed sugar, without sacrificing taste. Here are some tips for making healthier desserts that the whole family will enjoy.

Sorghum

Cut back on your processed sugar intake by incorporating delicious, unrefined sugars (naturally smart sugars) in your desserts. Natural “smart sugars” like coconut sugar, maple syrup, honey, dates, sorghum and molasses are all delicious and nutritious alternatives to overly processed white sugar. These delicious natural sweeteners can enhance the flavor of baked goods and give you a more wholesome treat. Plus, they often contain valuable nutrients such as zinc, potassium and magnesium that when consumed in moderation can help satisfy cravings without filling you with empty calories. So why not try using less processed sugar (naturally “smart sweeteners”) in your favorite desserts? Your taste buds – and metabolism – will thank you!

Dates

There are many sugar substitutes out there but most of those are processed also. There have been no studies conducted, at the time of this writing, indicating long-term health effects. Why risk using unknown/new fad sugars? My suggestion is to use “smart sweeteners” which will reduce health risks by consuming excess processed sugars greatly.

One recipe that we will do in the next blog post is mini Pavlovas. I’m actually experimenting with this recipe now so that we can add it to our kids cooking club and holiday baking programs. It is important to note that when using these alternatives, the amount of temperature, the ratio of smart sugar to another ingredient, and the cooking time may be adjusted. But your experimenting will pay off big time. Taste really won’t be affected and you will be a “family hero” just for trying.

Natural wild honey varies in flavor based on where it came from. Let adventures begin!

For example, when substituting honey for sugar in a recipe, use only half or two-thirds of the amount of sugar called for in a recipe because honey is sweeter than sugar. Additionally, if using honey, dates or maple syrup for baking it is important to reduce the oven temperature by about 25 degrees Fahrenheit and increase the cooking time slightly. This will prevent burning the dessert or creating bitter notes.

Fake Meat

There has been lots of debate around the topic of fake meats. Some people swear by them, insisting that they’re the future of food and that there’s no comparison to the real thing. Then there are others who believe that anything other than meat from a living animal is gross and unnatural.

Are “Fake Meats” good or bad? Let us see the arguments so you may decide for yourself.

While I am for eating more plant-related foods, I probably will never become a full vegetarian. I love all kinds of food too much. Probably you do also. But I can’t dispute a Harvard study where vegetarians live up to 26 years longer than carnivores. (I need to find the link to the study).

Below are several links that delve further into explaining different aspects of fake meat.

//www.mic.com/life/fake-meat-healthy-environment

Fake meat has been around since 1896, the first known plant-based meat product was called Nuttose. Kellogg created this term for the purpose of helping to stop Americans from eating so many heavy foods. What Kellogg produced was a meatless cheesy mass made out of peanuts that could be sliced, stewed, and hashed.

Oregon Chef Paul Wenner, in 1980 ground up some leftover vegetables and turned them into “gardenburger”. It was so popular that Wenner started selling his burgers out of a van. I don’t think this was accepted by Eastcoasters and the Midwest. I did try this product and it was not to my liking at all.

By the 1990s, other companies wanted in on the increasingly lucrative fake meat industry. They made products out of soy, rice, wheat, and mushrooms. Most of them looked and tasted like salty cardboard.

The meatless meat market is expected to be worth $140,000,000,000 by 2029 according to research at Barclay’s.

Proponents of fake meat claim that it is better for your body. Most experts agree because most meat alternatives have fewer calories than animal products – but they are also highly processed and contain absurd amounts of sodium and preservatives.

In the past decade, companies have been racing to make the bloodiest, meatiest product. “bleeding” faux meats, like Impossible Burger, are made of genetically modified soy proteins. A lot of people wonder if these highly processed products are actually better for people or the planet.

Is eating fake meat good for the environment? Scientists largely agree that eating fake meat is better for the environment than eating animals.

Producing a Beyond Burger, for example, uses 99% less water, 90% fewer greenhouse gasses, and 46% less energy than making a beef burger according to the university of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems.

Still, anything that comes in a shiny package also comes with a carbon footprint, and the reality is that fake meat has always been more of a marketing gimmick than a nutritional plan.

Most experts think the best thing for your body and the planet is to eat a plant-based diet high in whole foods and low in processed foods, including fake meat.

I don’t know who still needs to hear this, but we are literally born onto a planet that grows food.

If you want to know more about the recent history of fake meat, here is a handy timeline and some context on the ancient origins of meat alternatives.

//www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/12/history-fake-meat/

//www.foodandwine.com/cooking-techniques/plant-based-meat-china-taiwan-buddhist-vegetarian

If you want to learn more about what scientists think of fake meat, check out this research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, “Can Plant-Based Meat Alternatives Be Part of a Healthy and Sustainable Diet?

//jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2749260

If you want to know more about how your food choices impact your health and the health of the planet, there is a growing movement to create a Planetary Health Diet known as “PHD”. To join the movement check out these resources:

//eatforum.org/learn-and-discover/the-planetary-health-diet/

//nowthisnews.com/videos/food/planetary-health-diet-could-save-lives-transform-planet

I have not yet mentioned this new science thing where meat cells are being replicated in a lab to create all kinds of meat, fish, and poultry. While I am interested in learning more about that kind of thing, I still don’t like the idea of my food being messed with. Science has had a huge hand in our ingredients by taking what consumers like and finding ways to promote those qualities. Honestly, as a chef who celebrates food, I would rather educate on the foods the way they were if left alone.

Longer Lasting Strawberries

Who loves Strawberries?

I do!

The biggest concern I have when I buy lots of them is using them before they spoil. They spoil fast.

Here are a few tips for making them last longer:

Farmer’s markets are the best. Especially during the strawberry season which is from Spring and Summer.

When bringing these beauties home from the store or market, get a bowl and add 1 part of vinegar to 3 parts of water. Remove any dirt or mud and mold spores from the strawberry and drop them in the solution. A few minutes won’t even change the taste. Also, unlike other fruits, strawberries do not continue to mature after they have been picked.

 

Swirl them in the vinegar wash to wash them. After a quick soak, let them dry before putting them away.

 

Another idea is to line a salad spinner with paper towels and give them a spin.

 

Store strawberries that are dry on a paper toweled lined container that prevents trapping moisture.

 

These steps will slow the aging process and reduce fast spoilage.

Lastly, if you are freezing strawberries, hull them. Next slice them into the shape you want then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop them into the freezer. After they are frozen (1-4 hours) place them in freezer bags or freezer-safe storage containers.

Enjoy your wonderful strawberries!

Please comment about your favorite way of using strawberries are. Share with the Chefsville community.

 

 

Eggless Pasta Dough

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Eggless Pasta Dough

One of the great questions if you are a huge pasta fan is: Egg or eggless? Well to be honest, in Italy, the recipe for pasta changes from town to town. Adding eggs was made by more "well to do" people. It does add a slight richness to the dish, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with eggless pasta. Basically in Italy, they use a different type of flour than we do here in America. They use "semolina" which is a dry duram wheat - very hard flour. Semolina because it basically is a whole grain product has nutritional value. Contrast to that, in America, all-purpose flour is used that doesn't have any nutritional value.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Dish, Poultry and Eggs
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6 People

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 cups semolina flour or 1¼ cup semolina and 1¼ cup regular all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup water have another 1/2 cup ready in case dough is dry
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl mix all ingredients together until a ball of dough is formed.
  • Allow dough to rest for about 30 minutes to an hour. This will allow the wet ingredients to moisten the dry flour(s).
  • Roll out dough and send through pasta machine according to desired thickness.
  • Adjust attachments to which desired pasta: fettuccine, or any long strand shaped pasta. Or make your own shapes. There are over 650 different shapes and sizes of pasta. Find your favorites.

Notes

Equipment Necessary-
Measuring cups and spoons
Dough scarper (optional)
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Sheet tray
Plastic wrap
Pasta maker or rolling pin
Adult Supervision
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!