Covenant Natural Health Care

Recipe: healthy whole-wheat chocolate chip cookies

Nothing like a chocolate chip cookie to put a smile on your face (especially a guilt-free cookie with healthy ingredients). Note that I used coconut sugar (I found it at Whole Foods Market, but Healthy Alternatives in Florence, KY also has it) in this recipe. It's starting to become the new best healthy sugar because of its low glycemic index. It doesn't taste like coconut and is dark like sucanat. I've used it a couple times for baking so far and have been pleased. I had a friend visiting a couple weekends ago and she used it in her coffee and liked it.

Ingredients:
• 1/4 Cup oat flour
• 1 Cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1/4 Cup whole grain oats (or gluten-free oats)
• 1/4 Cup butter, softened
• 1/4 Cup olive oil
• 2/3 Cup coconut sugar (or sucanat)
• 1 Large farm-fresh egg
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 Cup dark chocolate chips
• Add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts- optional

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with wax paper (for easy cleanup).
2. In a medium bowl and stir together oat and whole-wheat flour, baking soda and salt.
3. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add oil, coconut sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy. With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls, at least 1 inch apart, onto the baking sheet. Bake cookies until golden, about 10-13 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Try this cookie recipe, too!

Recipe: Fresh, Sweet & Spicy Peach Salsa

Pile this fresh, sweet salsa on organic corn tortilla chips or on top of grilled chicken or fish. It's healthy, delicious, and a great way to enjoy ripe, summer peaches.

Shopping List:
• 2 Ripe peaches, chopped (look for peaches that are a little soft to the touch, but not mushy)
• 3 Tablespoons red pepper, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons green onions, chopped
• Juice of one small lime (can use a small lemon if you don't have limes)
• 1/2 Tablespoon fresh mint, torn into small pieces
• 1 Teaspoon (or more, to taste) jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1/2-1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:
• Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, gently stir, and serve. (If you are not serving right away, cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate)

{PS} Our Open House is this Saturday—we have a lot of great things planned, so come out, say hello, and learn more about we (Covenant Natural Health Care) do to help people get healthy and stay healthy!

Recipe: Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Who doesn't love a frozen treat in the heat of the summer? You can make a low-natural-sugar ice cream that contains no dairy by using coconut milk and coconut sugar. The best part is that it can be made without an ice cream maker if you don't have the luxury of having one.

This is a great recipe to let your kids (or grand-kids) help make and one you can feel great about serving your kids or guests. It's refreshing, healthy, and delicious!

Shopping List:
• 1 Can light coconut milk
• 1 Can regular coconut milk
• 1/2 Cup coconut sugar (Also called coconut crystals. I bought mine at Whole Foods Market, but it can also be bought at Healthy Alternatives in Florence, KY)
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract (learn how to make your own vanilla extract)
• 1 Tablespoon coconut flakes
• Pinch of salt
• Cinnamon, to taste

 

Directions:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium-size saucepan and turn your stove top on really low heat, gently working your way up to medium-low heat.
2. Stirring often, you want to heat the contents until all the coconut sugar is dissolved and mixture is slightly thickened and creamy.
3. Remove from heat and pour into a metal bowl.
4. Refrigerate until contents are thoroughly cooled (at least 1 hour).
5. Now, you have two options for continuing. If you have an ice cream maker—lucky you!—pour mixture into maker and follow manufacturer's instructions. If you don't have an ice cream maker, like me, you can still make ice cream following the continued directions below.
6. Cover with a lid or foil and place in the freezer. Now, you will have to beat it with a mixer (or stir by hand) every 30-40 minutes. I know, a little more labor and babysitting than with the ice cream maker, but it's worth it! And, hey, this is how they used to do it before ice cream makers, LOL.
7. You will have to continue to stir every 30-45 minutes about 4 times. The more it's beaten the softer it will be (and the more ice crystals you will work out). Then let it continue to freeze. Be patient because this could take up to eight hours or more. Ice cream made this way tends to be a little harder than with a machine, but as long as you set it out for a bit before serving, it will still be delicious.
8. Scoop into a bowl, top with fresh fruit or nuts and enjoy!

Modify this recipe to make an ice cream flavor of your choice (add mix-ins only after 2-3 hours of freezing):
• Mint chocolate chip: Add dark chocolate pieces and fresh mint leaves
• Vanilla bean: Scrape the beans out of a vanilla pod for a real, delicious vanilla flavor
• Strawberry: Add fresh strawberries
• Butter pecan: Add about a tablespoon of Amish butter and 1/3 cup pecans
• Chocolate: Add carob powder (for no caffeine) or cocoa powder
• Chocolate covered cherry: Add chopped, fresh cherries and dark chocolate pieces

Recipe: Healthy Carrot Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

While perusing food blogs last weekend, I came across this carrot oatmeal cookie recipe at 101 Cookbooks (a blog I visit frequently). I was looking for something that had little natural sugar, was dairy-free and contained no eggs, so it was perfect. I didn't have all the ingredients, so I modified the recipe to use what I had in the house.

I love that these little cookies are not overly sweet, but tasty and healthy.

Shopping List:
• 1 Cup whole wheat flour
• 1 Teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 2 Teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 Cup rolled oats
• 1 Cup shredded or grated carrots
• 1/2 Cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 Cup raw agave nectar
• 1/2 Cup unrefined coconut oil, warmed until just melted
• 1/2 Cup raisins

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and oats. Mix well.
3. Add the carrots and coconut to the flour mixture and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the agave nectar and coconut oil. Add to flour mixture. Mix well.
5. Mix in raisins. (Take a bite of the dough—yum!)
6. Drop by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet (greased with butter).
7. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 10 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let cool.

A healthy, little, sweet treat to pack in kids lunches.

Recipe: Easy, homemade truffles

I find it overwhelming to be bombarded with candy this time of year. It's all about how much candy can fit in a basket. Candy-making companies also go to great lengths to use special pastel-colored wrappers and cute bunnies to entice shoppers. Sadly though, all the marketing ploys used do work, the evidence being that supply meets demand.

It's hard to resist, isn't it? If you've been following this blog, you know how toxic sugar is to the body. If you've stumbled across this blog and are wondering why sugar is so bad for you, read 143 reasons sugar ruins your health. If you're craving chocolate or something sweet, the best thing you can do for your health is to avoid all the processed candy and sugars and make something sweet in your own kitchen where you control the quality and quantity of ingredients.

Here's a recipe to try and share that will satisfy the sweet tooth. Seven healthy, easy-to-find ingredients, no kitchen gadgets needed, and 15 minutes = a yummy, guilt-free dessert.

Shopping List (Recipe found here. We also sell this cookbook in our office.):
• 1/4 Cup flaxseeds, ground
• 1/4 Cup unsweetened carob powder, sifted
• 1/3 Cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/3 Cup raw almond butter
• 1/3 Cup honey
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• Small bowl of unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl until mixture forms a dense ball (or process in a food processor). With your hands, roll into 1-inch balls. Roll in coconut to coat. Refrigerate.

Looking for other sweet recipes? Try these:
• Homemade creamy, dark chocolate pudding (gluten-free and dairy-free)
• Guilt-free carob cupcakes
• Honey-sweetened oat cookies with a chocolate center
• Click on here for more!