Tropical, Sensational and Oohhh so Easy!

It’s Sunday night and you just gotta have something sweet...but you can’t add extra pounds to that fab body of yours! Oh what to do, what to do? Well, I’m in the same boat and I can’t binge as I have a wedding dress to fit into, so I came up with an easy dessert recipe anyone can follow. While shopping at Whole Foods I was looking for something yummy that I could snack on. Now, I’ve been really good with my work-out “regime” and I just wanted something yummy that won’t make me take two steps backwards for every step I’ve taken forward. And then I saw them, glistening in the grocery aisle and calling my name, 2 cans of organic papaya and mango just wanted to come home with me. It worked! When I was wanting something sweet that night, I remembered the tropical fruit I picked up. Here are 2 versions you can try…one is no fat, and the other has a little but certainly not as much a slice of chocolate cake. Tropical Fruit Salad 1 can mango 1 can papaya 1 banana 2-4 tsp agave nectar 1/2 tsp of blossoming orange extract Chop the fruit and mix it in a bowl. Then in a separate mixing bowl stir the orange blossom extract with some agave nectar. Pour this nectar over the fruit and enjoy! “Whipped” Cream 6 oz silken tofu (or if you can’t eat soy, then you can add about 3/4 cups of cashews) 1/4 cup agave nectar (I guessed at this amount) 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp blossoming orange extract Blend all the ingredients in a blender until the cream is smooth. If you noticed in the picture, I layered the whipped cream with fruit in a martini glass. Once it’s all pretty, put it in the refrigerator to cool for about 30min. There it is…a guiltless dessert. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Mix, Stir and Pour…Pancakes in a Hurry!

Our every weekend seems to be jam packed with things to do and catch up on. Preparing an elaborate brunch is usually not high on our list of things to accomplish. Enter delicious and easy buckwheat pancakes. Before you tune out and turn your nose at the idea of whole-grain pancakes, please read on with an open mind. Buckwheat is actually not related to wheat, but rhubarb! According to Dr. Weil’s site it is very high in nutrients: Nutritionally, buckwheat provides vitamins B1 and B2, the minerals potassium, magnesium, phosphate and iron (buckwheat contains more iron than cereal grains), and it has nearly twice the amount of the amino acid lysine found in rice. Buckwheat bran (farinetta) contains rutin, a flavonoid known to reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure and maintain the strength and flexibility of capillaries. A recently discovered compound in buckwheat called fagopyritol seems to have potential to help manage type II diabetes. Now that our nutrition lesson is over, let’s get going and whip up some amazing pancakes. This is actually my husband’s way of making pancakes. He doesn't like spending time in the kitchen, so he takes all the short cuts when cooking. Imho it doesn’t always pay off (he would disagree!) but this shortcut works well. So what we do is buy Arowhead Mills Buckwheat Pancake and Waffle Mix to save time. You can find this in many grocery and health foods stores. There is actually a recipe on the back which you can use if you like your pancakes extra fluffy. But what we do is waaaay simple! Derek’s No-Hassle Buckwheat Pancakes 1 cup of Arrowhead Mills Buckwheat Pancake Mix 1 cup (approx) soy milk Slowly pour the soy milk into the pancake mix until you get the desired consistency. If you like your batter thicker, add less liquid, and if you like it a tad bit runny, add more.. Spray a little canola oil onto a non-stick pan, and pour the pancake batter. Then wait tell the bottom of the pancake is lightly cooked and then flip it over until the other side is fully cooked. Serve immediately with bananas, strawberries, walnuts, and agave nectar. (BTW, agave nectar is a great sweetener which can be high in minerals and low on the glycemic index) If you have a “no-hassle’ pancake recipe you enjoy, send them my way as I’d love to try them!