by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jan 22, 2015 | Dessert, Diet, Food, Gluten Free, Health, Nutrition, Paleo, Recipes
It’s hard to please everyone nowadays. Some people won’t eat grains, others want to protect the animals. Still other people prefer to cut down on their sugar or avoid foods cooked over certain temperatures to preserve nutrients. How do you satisfy this diverse group of foodies with one one-size-fits-all dessert? The search ends here. These chocolate mint squares are raw, vegan, Paleo, low sugar – the only thing they aren’t is hard to make. They take a few minutes to prepare and all you need are the ingredients and a decent food processor or blender.
They somewhat resemble their tooth-achingly sweet cousin, the Nanaimo Bar, with their pretty layers and chocolate finish, but with a health-promoting twist. While these still count as a dessert, they contain healthy fats (avocado, coconut oil and walnuts), fibre and, well, chocolate. We all love chocolate. They’re also decadent with their bright green middles.
Ingredients:
1 cup large dates, pits removed
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup walnuts
3 small avocados
coconut oil
1/4 maple syrup or honey
bakers dark chocolate, or dark chocolate baking wafers (available at Bulk Barn)
2 tsp of peppermint extract
Directions:
Base layer:
Lay some parchment paper on a small baking pan. In a food processor blend together the dates (add a little water to the mixture), cocoa powder and walnuts. Spread the blended ingredients over the parchment paper and place everything in the freezer so that it hardens.
Middle layer:
Blend together the avocados, 2 tbs of coconut oil, the maple syrup and 1 capful of peppermint extract. I like to squeeze in a little lemon to keep the avocados looking nice and green. When the base layer is hard, pour the middle layer on top, then return to the freezer for minimum one hour.
Top layer:
In the microwave or small sauce pan, melt a handful of chocolate, 1 tbs coconut oil and 1/2 capful of peppermint extract. Mix together until everything is liquid and uniform. Pour a thin coating of the chocolate layer on top of the frozen avocado layer then return everything to the freezer.
When everything is set in place, carefully cut the recipe into small squares. They will be hard to cut if the top chocolate layer is too thick, as it cracks when hardened. It helps to heat the knife with hot water and slowly cut the squares. Store everything in the freezer and serve cold.
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Dec 9, 2014 | Dessert, Diet, Digestion, Food, Gluten Free, Nutrition, Recipes
Perfect for fall, this simple, easily-adapted recipe nourishes a tired digestive system. When the weather gets cold and dry, it serves us well to compensate with foods that are warm in both temperature and constitution. Eating naturally sweetened foods and healthy fats also helps nourish us through what is looking to be a long winter.
SPICED APPLES
Ingredients:
2 apples of your choice
a small handful of nuts: walnuts or pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch each of nutmeg, cloves and ginger
1 tbs of oil: olive oil or coconut
Directions:
Chop apples into slices. Put pan on medium heat, add in apples, oil, nuts and spices. Mix ingredients together, adding small amounts of water to reactivate the oil and coat the apples and nuts with spice. Heat until the apples have the desired softness. Allow to cool and enjoy.
This recipe can be consumed as a healthy snack, a dessert or a healthy breakfast (if paired with a protein source such as eggs or steal-cut oats).
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jul 15, 2013 | Dessert, Diet, Elimination Diet, Food, Gluten Free, Health, Nutrition, Paleo, Recipes, Summer
I never thought I’d enjoy ice cream again. During the 4 months I spent volunteering in Costa Rica, I became obsessed with ice cream. It wasn’t my fault; it seemed that the whole population was obsessed. At the end of a long work day, one could spot businessmen nursing a McDonald’s soft-serve cone, leaning their bodies back from the drips that threatened to send their suits to the dry cleaners early.
This obsession with ice cream, which is damp and cold, is probably not the best thing for people of Kapha constituion, but I knew very little about ayurvedic medicine back then. I also had no idea that one could be intolerant to dairy, which I now know that I am. My almost-daily ice cream treat contributed to a 40-pound weight gain in those 4 short months.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Jun 19, 2013 | Cooking, Dessert, Diet, Digestion, Food, Food Sensitivities, Gluten Free, Healthy Baking, Nutrition
“Great cookies!” Someone exclaimed as I passed around the tupperware container. And, as is custom at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, home of the famous elimination diet, they added, “Are they gluten-free?”
Little did this particular colleague know, these cookies aren’t just gluten-free, they’re grain-free, dairy-free and egg-free. What’s the secret ingredient? It’s not almond flour, as most grain-free recipe experts might suspect, but chickpeas. Yeah. So, before you stop reading, just try them, they’re easy to make and you’ll be able to fool your friends (and maybe even yourself) too.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Apr 23, 2013 | Cooking, Dessert, Diet, Digestion, Elimination Diet, Food, Food Sensitivities, Gluten Free, Healthy Baking, Nutrition, Recipes
So, you’ve probably heard of black bean brownies before. However, just like “therapist”, black bean brownie is not a protected title. There are just as many varieties of recipes as there are hits for “black bean brownie” on google. Some have flour, some barely contain beans, some are full of sugar to disguise their “healthy-ness.” However, I hope this recipe, which I created as a modified version of the White Bean Blondies, is deserving of Black Bean Brownie certification.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Apr 11, 2013 | Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Dessert, Diet, Digestion, Elimination Diet, Food, Food Sensitivities, Gluten Free, Nutrition, Recipes, Student
Our last day of Primary Care, a third year course that is both the most educational course of the year and the bane of our existence, our group decided to have a pot luck. In the spirit of bringing something healthy, guilt-free and yummy to get us through our last weeks of class, I decided to try making these guys: chocolate chip white bean blondies. In true naturopathic spirit they are made of whole foods and are grain-free, dairy-free, contain no eggs or preservatives and are low in sugar. It’s important to chow down in a guilt-free manner from time to time.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Mar 28, 2013 | Cooking, Dessert, Elimination Diet, Food, Food Sensitivities, Gluten Free, Nutrition
Everyone loves baked things. They help fuel social gatherings, solo study sessions, go well with tea and coffee. What’s not to love? The problem, however, is that most are laden with sugar, wheat flour, usually processed and virtually all contain milk and eggs, which a growing number of people are developing intolerances to.
Gluten-free goods can be expensive and have the quality of cardboard. So, what’s a health-minded individual to do? No worries, many common recipes can be converted quite easily, depending on your dietary needs and preferences.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Mar 18, 2013 | Colombia, Dessert, Diet, Digestion, Food, Health, Jungle Medicine, Nutrition, South America
While traveling in South America, people sometimes ask me what I do for a living. Unlike some of the reactions I sometimes get in North America, when I tell people from South America that I’m a naturopathic medical student, I usually get warm, excited responses.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Mar 14, 2013 | Dessert, Elimination Diet, Food, Food Sensitivities, Gluten Free, Health, Nutrition, Recipes
Have you ever been invited to a dinner party and charged with the task of bringing dessert to one of those groups of people who always seem to be onto the next dietary fad? If not, you probably don’t have any naturopathic friends. If you have been in this situation,forced to peer at food labels, wondering how many words there are for “dairy”, I have a solution for you. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, raw and dairy-free, so it should satisfy everyone. In fact, the list that these things don’t contain is way longer than what they do, which are: coconut. nuts. dates. Unless you’re date-free, you can eat these. And, let’s face it, if you’re date-free you’re probably looking anyways, right? 😉
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Mar 5, 2013 | Dessert, Diet, Digestion, Elimination Diet, Food, Food Sensitivities, Gluten Free, Health, Nutrition, Recipes
Being on a diet makes it hard to snack, especially when on the road. Any true Canadian will tell you that no road trip is complete without a stop at Tim Horton’s, our favourite roadside coffee hub. And, of course, no Tim Horton’s coffee is truly satisfying without a delicious box of “Timbits”, or assorted doughnut holes, by its side. Every Friday, while teaching English in the summer, I would bring in a box of Timbits for my students to sample some “authentic Canadian cuisine”. They loved them, not surprisingly. Sadly, most people on a naturopathic diet – whichever naturopathic diet you follow – can’t eat Timbits, which are basically little balls of gluten and sugar. But don’t despair, this snack makes a delicious grain-free, whole foods substitute. And the best thing about these coconut-covered balls? They’re good for you!
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