Fresh Figs & Cream for Breakfast

Here is a super easy, delicious breakfast when figs are in season

This is so simple, and we wanted to bring this yummy dish to your attention.

I enjoyed eating this for breakfast at my mom's house after we went and picked figs together. I especially enjoyed taking off my sandals and climbing the fig trees to get the ripe ones on the tippy-top! We got to go harvest figs twice while I was there. So fun!

Some of the figs we picked and brought home.

Here are some "blond" figs too!

My mom calls this "Fig Mush". It's delicious, whatever you choose to call it!


Fig Mush Recipe:

Fresh figs
Organic whole milk
Organic cream
Stevia glycerite, optional
BioSalt, optional


Method:

Snip fresh figs into a serving bowl.
Pour over some milk.
Pour over some cream
Add a drop of stevia glycerite to sweeten further, if desired
Stir and add a pinch of BioSalt, if desored.

Snip the fresh figs into little bite-sized pieces.

Pour milk then cream over top. Sweeten with a drop of stevia glycerite if desired.

Blond Fig Mush.

Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy.

Easy Sun Warrior Chocolate Pudding (Sugar-Free & Vegan)

Easy Sun Warrior Chocolate Pudding.

Here is the beginning of a series of delicious, sugar-free protein pudding recipes that you can make yourself!

We have been talking about creating delicious tasting protein-packed pudding recipes. We wanted a dessert pudding that is good for us and our families. This recipe is the beginning of these formulations. This pudding recipe is low-carb, sugar-free, gluten-free, corn-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and vegan.

My mom discovered that when you puree and heat the warrior blend protein powder with liquid, it "cooks" up to make a silky smooth creamy pudding that thickens perfectly when chilled. Vegan protein powders are not usually this smooth, it's the "cooking" process in the VitaMix that transforms it. we were thrilled to see that it also thickens up beautifully.

This recipe makes up several servings. We like cooking this way, it cuts down on the daily food prep time. Make up a bunch and get it out of the way. That's how we roll.

This recipe is very easy to make in a VitaMix high-powered blender. VitaMix is famous for being able to cook soups just by the friction caused by it's fast moving blades.

So assemble your ingredients and get ready to enjoy a guilt-free treat for breakfast, lunch, or a quick snack anytime!

Sun Warrior Chocolate Pudding Recipe:

Yield: 8 generous servings.

13.5-ounce can Full Fat coconut milk, plus HOT water to make a total of 3 1/4 cups.

1 c. Sun Warrior brand Chocolate "Warrior Blend" protein powder

1/2 c. white or purple yam or sweet potato that has been baked until soft (remove skins)

1/2 to 1 c. White Lakanto sweetener powder, to taste

1/4 c. coconut oil (deodorized makes a more chocolaty flavor)

2 T. vegetable glycerine or other liquid sweetener

2 T. xylitol (or 2 T more Lakanto)

1/3 to 1/2 c. dutch cocoa powder, to taste

1 to 3 t. black cocoa powder, optional for richer color (we like 3 t.)

2 t. real vanilla extract

1/4 t. almond extract
1/4 t. BioSalt

1 fat pinch of canella powder or ceylon cinnamon

Stevia glycerite, to taste, optional

Real chocolate flavoring, to taste, optional
Coffee flavoring, optional

Method:

Place the 3 1/4 cups liquid (coconut milk plus water) into a VitaMix blender container.Then add the 1 cup protein powder.

Put the VitaMix lid on and blend on medium speed just until combined. Turn off the blender and then scrape down the sides of the blender.

Secure the lid on tightly and process on highest speed until steaming hot and perfectly smooth. The temperature should reach at least 130 degrees F. for the pudding to have the best texture and flavor (don't go over 170 degrees). The friction of the blades heats the liquid after a short time. Measure temperature with a thermometer.

Turn off the VitaMix, remove lid and add the rest of the ingredients to the blender, except for the stevia glycerite and chocolate flavoring, if using.

Place lid tightly on and process on the highest speed until the pudding is steaming hot and smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed (with the blender turned off!). If the mixture gets a little too thick, use the "Tamper" to help it along. You may also add up to 1/4 cup more water (making a total of 3 1/2 c. liquid).

Turn off the VitaMix, Taste the pudding. Add stevia glycerite, a few drops at a time, to taste if you want the pudding sweeter. Add chocolate and coffee flavoring to taste, if you want to.

Give a final blend and taste for balanced flavors.

Portion finished pudding into serving-sized jars and store in the refrigerator. The jars of pudding also freeze well!

To Serve:

A good way to serve this is to top the pudding with sliced or broken bananas and crushed gluten-free pretzels. Pour your favorite cold, milk over top and dig in! Our favorite milks are whole organic milk, almond mylk, coconut/almond mylk, or cashew mylk.

Notes: 

If a less thick pudding is desired, add another 1/4 cup water, to make a total of 3 1/2 cups liquid used This pudding thickens more when chilled due to the coconut oil content. If the chilled pudding turns out thicker than you would like, just stir in a bit more water to suit your individual taste.

We add the canella powder, chocolate flavoring, and the coffee flavoring to the pudding to make the most of the chocolate flavor and to make the least of the pea protein flavor!

Stay tuned, a yummy butterscotch protein pudding is being perfected now!

The Sun Warrior protein powder used for this recipe.

The texture and thickness of the Sun Warrior Chocolate Pudding before chilling.

This makes 8 generous servings of protein pudding.

Sun Warrior Protein Pudding topped with Bananas, G-F Pretzels, and Whole Organic Milk.

Enjoy!

Leila & Nancy.

NEW & Improved Clear Sugar-Free Pancake Syrup

This is a more advanced sugar-free pancake syrup formula.


You will need to source some CMC powder for this recipe. You can find CMC easily online.  CMC is useful for thickening many things, not just syrup. It is also a secret ingredient in some gluten-free and low-carb bakery items.

This syrup recipe is very easy to make, it just uses more specialty ingredients. It's a shame to make low carb pancakes or waffles for breakfast and then drown them in sugary syrup. You could add a touch of natural dark maple syrup to this base if you wanted to for more authentic flavor. Just be aware that the real maple syrup is sugar.

You could also add natural butter flavoring to this syrup, to taste.

If you do not yet have CMC, here is an earlier recipe for sugar-free pancake syrup from this blog. See it HERE. It will not be as clear but it is still a good choice.

Here at Kitchen Cheetahs, we like to have several options for making the same thing. Having various choices will make it more convenient for you too.


Clear Sugar-Free Pancake Syrup Recipe:

1 c. Table-top Sugar Replacement blend (or Lakanto Golden Sugar Replacement, to taste)
1/4 t. CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose)
1/8 t. Sea salt or BioSalt
7 T. Water, plus more. if desired
2 T. Vegetable glycerine
3/4 t. Mapleine flavor extract


Method:

Premix the Table-Top sweetener blend with the CMC powder.

In a small sauce pan pour the 7 T. water and vegetable glycerine. Stir to mix.

Add the Table-top Sweetener blend and salt. Carefully stir over medium-high heat.

Gently stir to dissolve, while bringing to a boil. It will start to bubble and then get a foamy appearance. Remove from heat. On my gas stove, this took 4 minutes total.

Let cool down a bit and then add 3/4 t. Mapleine flavoring, to taste.

If you want to thin the syrup further add more water one teaspoon at a time and mix in well.

Pour finished syrup into a jar with a tight fitting lid and store in the refrigerator. The air bubbles will subside with time.


Note: The CMC that you will find and buy online will likely be different from what we have used. You may need to use more than what we used. The first time you make this syrup, make a batch 1/4th the size of this one to make sure you get it the way you like it. 

Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy.

Chocolate-Dipped iPhone

Leila's iphone dipped in Lakanto chocolate

We have not forgotten you!

Leila and I have spent a fun-busy week together developing more luscious and healthy food for Kitchen Cheetahs....and I have been learning to post!

This will be short and sweet (as a test run)...

The 3 of us have been immersed in Lakanto chocolate much of the time, meaning me, Leila and her i phone!

Author, 

Nancy Glazier.

Warm Chocolate Filled Fresh FIGS - Fit for a king! Nancy Glazier's 1st official post!

The best thing you'll ever put in your mouth, trust me!

Sun warmed figs slathered in melted Lakanto Dark Chocolate.

It's Fig Season!

Yesterday morning, Leila and I went to a friends house and picked sun-warmed figs right off the tree. They were so sweet and ripe - little purses filled with crunchy jam. A sweet memory for us.

Even the figs that were starting to dry up a bit on the tree were delicious. Their sweetness concentrates and they start to get wonderfully chewy.

Fresh Picked Figs!

We took our bounty of figs home and melted some of my Lakanto sugar-free chocolate to spoon over the still warm figs. I've never had anything so delicious. The melted chocolate with sugary, crunchy warm figs is amazing.

 Fig wells - Ready for chocolate!

I found that cutting each fig in half and then making a deep well in each center (with a thumb) to hold more chocolate was the way to go.

Or you can dip the whole fig into the chocolate and just dive in. P.S... Don't wear a white shirt.

It's important to have jammy-soft figs for this treat. If you don't have access to a fig tree, try soaking dried white figs in warm water or apple juice until they are nice and soft. Remove from their soaking liquid - pat dry - and serve them warm with melted chocolate.

Figs have the highest fiber and mineral content of all common fruits, nuts, and vegetables. They also have as much as 1000 times more calcium than other common fruits and are 80% higher in potassium than bananas. They are extremely easy to digest. Few fruits equal a fig (try saying that fast 5 times).


 

Bon Appetit :)

Author, Nancy Glazier
Gluten-Free & Sugar-Free Food Formulator.

New Ingredient : Organic dehydrated coconut palm nectar (Coconut Palm Sugar)

I have brought a new ingredient into my formulating kitchen; Organic Coconut Palm Sugar.

Organic dehydrated coconut palm nectar

I am excited about this new arrival. It is a healthy low-glycemic sweetener that is loaded with minerals. When I opened the bag, the scent of sugary caramel notes wafted up to my nose. It looks a lot like brown sugar, except it is drier looking. The taste is very pleasant and full-bodied.

It can be used as a 1:1 replacement for regular sugar. It is not sugar-free however. My understanding is that it has the same glycemic rating as carrots or peas, which is a lot better than cane sugar.

Organic dehydrated coconut palm nectar is Vegan and Paleo diet approved.

This sugar goes through minimal processing and is much healthier for you that other sugars. When my parents lived in Fiji, they met natives who loved their coconut palm nectar, and swore that they did not get cavities from it as they did when they ate cane sugar. Interesting. More research to come...

I will be having fun experimenting with this tasty sweetener, so stay tuned!

Look for it at your local health food store.

See my recipe for Vanilla Creme Brulee Instant Pudding, which is my first creation using coconut palm sugar.

Happy formulating!

Leila.

Vanilla Creme Brulee Instant Pudding (No Cook, Low Glycemic, JELL-O Copy Cat Recipe)

This is a truly delicious instant no-cook pudding mix I created today, and it's lower glycemic too...

Vanilla Creme Brulee Instant Pudding.

This Vanilla Creme Brulee Instant Pudding is full-bodied and creamy. It has a decadent vanilla caramel flavor. You will be surprised that this is an instant pudding mix when you taste it! It is good enough to serve as a stand alone dessert.

This pudding has a secret, it is made with pure organic coconut palm sugar. Coconut palm sugar gives a nice caramel color, scent, and flavor to this pudding mix. It looks a lot like brown sugar, yet it is high in minerals like potassium and phosphorus. The thing that awesome about organic coconut sugar, is that it is a healthy, low glycemic alternative to other sugars like regular table sugar. It can also be used as a sweetener in beverages, desserts, and other recipes that call for regular cane sugar.

We make this pudding truly decadent by substituting some of the milk for cream, which just so happens to lower the carbs even further. Party.

Bonus: This is a true instant (no cook) pudding mix recipe you can use to replace the commercial 3.5 ounce boxed instant vanilla pudding mix called for in recipes. Party.

This is my second trial with no cook puddings. These instant pudding mixes will be evolving. I have plans to make instant protein puddings.

My goal: They have to taste good, like dessert, or I won't enjoy eating them much. I'd like to have a healthy pudding snack, say, before bed? Or maybe for breakfast. I have wanted to make delicious protein puddings/protein drink mixes for years. So now I'm going for it!

One hurdle has been how to get an instant pudding consistency without cooking it and without having to source ingredients only available to commercial food manufacturers. So this recipe is definitely progress. earlier I made a chocolate instant pudding that had a great consistency... I think I will post about my progress, then you can see how the instant pudding recipes evolve too.

See my first trial recipe of instant chocolate pudding too.



Vanilla Creme Brulee Instant Pudding & Pie Filling Mix:

3/4 c. (120 g) Organic Coconut Palm Sugar
6 T. (30 g) Ultra Gel Instant Non-GMO Modified Corn Starch (Cornaby's brand)
1 t. Lecithin granules (like Now brand)
1/8 t. (1 g) Sea salt or BioSalt (up to 2 g, to taste)


Method:

Grind the coconut sugar, Ultra Gel, lecithin powder and salt together 30 seconds until fine textured in a VitaMix blender. Let the dust settle before opening up the lid.

Store the pudding mix in an air-tight container.


To Prepare Pudding:

Liquid Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. organic whole milk
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 t. real vanilla extract
1/4 t. caramel flavoring (like Brickford brand), optional


Method:

Pour 1 3/4 cups cold milk into a mixing bowl.
Add 1/4 c. heavy cream to the milk (you may cut cream down to 2 T. and increase the milk by 2 T.).
Add 1 t. real vanilla extract and caramel flavoring, if using.
Add 1 recipe of Instant Pudding Mix above.
Using a hand mixer or whisk, blend for 2 minutes.
Let the pudding set up for 5 minutes in the refrigerator.


Photos of the process:

Organic Coconut Palm Sugar

Put the dry ingredients into a blender and grind fine, with the lid on!

Pour the wet ingredients into a mixing bowl and then add the pudding mix.

Whisk pudding ingredients together.

Adding the heavy cream to the pudding.

Whisk until smooth and glossy, and starting to thicken.

Pour into small serving dishes and chill at least 5 minutes to set up.

Top with sweetened whipped cream if desired.

Enjoy,

Leila.