Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse
• 10 ounces  Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup coffee, hot
• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons sugar
1. Whip the cream to form light peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator. Melt the chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl set over barely simmering water. Meanwhile, whip the eggs with the sugar until very fluffy and thick, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir the hot coffee into the melted chocolate chips. The mixture will start to thicken, so work quickly. Quickly stir in the beaten eggs, then fold in the whipped cream. Pour or spoon mixture into cups or bowls, and chill until firm, about 2 hours

Gluten free Brownies

These brownies are so good no one will believe that they are gluten free. I sometimes use coconut flour instead of the almond flour and it gives a nice flavor.

• 2/3 cup almond flour
• 1/3 cup brown rice flour
• 1 cup  70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips ( Or a
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs ( or can use egg replacer )
• 1 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 8×8 pan
2. Place the chocolate, butter and salt in the top of a large double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Add the almond and rice flour mixture and stir until moistened, and then mix briskly about a minute . Stir in the walnuts or pecans if using.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until you can insert a  toothpick  into the center  and it comes out moist but clean. Cool and serve

I put a Chocolate mousse on the top and added fruit as a garnish.  Tomorrow I will post the Chocolate Mousse recipe

Your liver processes remove toxins from your body. It also breaks down fats and manages glucose (sugar ) levels. So it is a very important organ. A toxic liver can make you feel bloated, headaches, fatigued, and give you acne.

The liver has various  important functions:

• It makes and secretes bile to help your body absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K)
• It metabolizes and stores carbohydrates, fats, sugars, vitamins for energy and brain function.
• It breaks down harmful chemicals (bilirubin and ammonia) produced by the body to keep you healthy.
• It manufactures proteins to help maintain blood filtration and flow.
• It breaks down hormones, detoxifies water and removes drugs, alcohol and environmental toxins
• And it filters waste products from your blood.

With such an important job we all should take better care our liver. Ways to help your liver cleanse itself are:

• Minimize alcohol and caffeine consumption

Alcohol and caffeine are responsible for liver damage, by reducing or eliminating these from your diet will help your liver detox.

• Minimize sugar, fat, and processed food
• Increase raw fruit and vegetable intake

Leafy greens, legumes, fruit, whole grains are great food to eat.

• Increase water intake

Increased water will cause urination, and that help cleanse the toxins in your liver

Great foods to eat to help your liver:

Whole grains:   Brown Rice, Old Fashioned Oatmeal, Barley

Turmeric is used in curry and pickles

Cilantro:  reduces mercury levels

Rosemary:  Helps enhance liver detoxification

Berries:      Raspberries, Blackberries, Strawberries, blueberries, Eat them alone or in a dessert or in a smoothie, or added to your cereal

Green Tea

Yogurt    Greek yogurt or parfaits or regular yogurt it is good for you

Legumes ( Beans) Nuts and Seeds :  Mix them in a salad or eat them in a trail mix.

Soy:         Eat edamame.  It makes a great snack

Red Grapes:  Freeze them and eat it for a snack or add it to tuna salad

Garlic and Onions:  Garlic helps remove heavy metals from the liver

Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Kale, Collards,  bok choy, watercress, ,  Beets, Carrots, Red Onions

Apples:   The pectin in the apple helps reduce the load of filtration on the liver

Eggs: helps metabolize fats and improve liver health

Grapefruit:  help in a natural detoxification of the liver

Dandelion Greens, Mustard Greens: promote production and flow of bile.  This is  Great for liver detox!

Lemon Juice:  Cleanses and detoxifies the digestive tract and balances the PH

Not only will these foods help you feel great, they are also taste good, and are great foods to eat every day.  They can be mixed together to make a bigger impact.  Try my recipe for Roasted vegetables or edamame Guacamole dip, Massaged kale or make an egg salad sprinkle some turmeric in it, put it on whole wheat bread with greens and now you have a major liver detox lunch!

Flour less Peanut butter Cookies Gluten Free

These cookies are easy to make and will be a crowd pleaser. It is hard to believe that they are flour less.

1 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar and

1/2 cup brown sugar

 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Combine ingredients and drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool.
3.  Recipe doesn’t make very many, about 3 dozen so you could double recipe.

Stocking a Healthy Kitchen

A healthy diet/ life styles begins with having only healthy and nutritious food in your house.  So if you have found that you are having a problem sticking to your New Year’s resolution or you just want to eat better, now is a great time to Spring clean your pantry and start off with a fresh start. There are certain staples that you should have in your pantry so that you can make quick/ easy/ healthy meals. Many of the items are inexpensive and can be stocked up on when you find a great buy. Print out a list and start stocking your pantry with healthier meal options.

BEANS

Garbanzo beans, kidney beans, white beans, dried beans: great northern beans, Lima, lentil, split pea, black pinto

 TOMATOES

Canned whole, crushed, chopped, paste

GARLIC

Fresh and minced

 OIL

Olive oil, grape seed oil , Cooking spray

TUNA/SALMON

Canned in water

WHOLE WHEAT PASTA / GLUTEN FREE PASTA

Couscous, barley, quinoa

BROWN RICE

OATMEAL

Old fashioned oatmeal

LOW- SODIUM BROTH

Beef, vegetable, and chicken

DRIED FRUIT

Raisins, apricots, cherries, cranberries, prunes, apples

NUTS

Almonds, peanuts, pine nuts, walnuts, pecans

Butters: almond, peanut, and any other nut

COFFEE / TEA

Coffee Beans, ground, instant

Green Tea, ginger, chamomile, mint

ONIONS

Red, yellow onions

Vinegar

Balsamic, white, red wine, rice

Sauces

Tabasco, low sodium soy

SPICES AND BAKING INGREDIENTS

Salt and pepper

Dried herbs and spices: ground cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, crushed red pepper, rosemary, thyme leaves, oregano, tarragon, ground cinnamon, ground ginger

Baking Powder, Baking Soda, corn starch

Flour:  All-purpose flour, whole wheat, cake, bread

Gluten free alternatives:  coconut flour,  almond,  brown rice four

Chocolate: unsweetened squares, coco powder, semi-sweet chocolate chips

Extracts; vanilla, lemon

Preserves/ sugar:  jam, honey, agave nectar, Stevia, confectioner’s, brown sugar

Gelatin: unflavored

Milk: evaporated, powdered

Yeast: dry active

Baking mix, pudding

Basics for every refrigerator

Organic cage free eggs

Milk

Cheese: sharp cheddar, feta, parmesan, mozzarella

Yogurt, Greek yogurt

Margarine low fat- non fat

Tofu

Greens for salad

Seasonal fruits and vegetables

Lemon and limes

Cauliflower, carrots, broccoli

Basics for every freezer

Frozen fruit: berries ( no sugar added)

Frozen vegetables: edamame, broccoli, pepper and onion mix, spinach, peas

Fish