Sweet Potato Pie Ice Cream

I'm always looking for unique {clean} desserts to offer my family at mealtime. I came across this Sweet Potato Pie Ice Cream in this month's Clean Eating magazine.  The recipe is courtesy of Food Network's Private Chefs of Beverly Hills co-star Manouschka Guerrier. 

I know this recipe contains no pumpkin and it's main ingredient is sweet potato but you could have fooled me (except for the fact that I made it)! It tastes just like pumpkin pie! If you love pumpkin pie and ice cream then you will love this sweet {dairy free} low fat treat.

Sweet Potato Pie Ice Cream

Ingredients:

Makes 1 qt or 4 cups

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces
• 1/2 cup {pure} maple syrup
• 2 cups low-fat, unsweetened oat milk (i used {light} Silk original almond milk instead)
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 1 tsp {pure} vanilla extract (not imitation)
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place potato in a baking dish. Pour maple syrup over top and toss until well coated. Spread in a single layer and bake until very tender, without turning, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2).  Remove from oven and immediately transfer to refrigerator. Refrigerate overnight to further soften the potato.

3).  In the bowl of a food processor, puree potato until creamy, about 4 minutes. With a rubber spatula, scrape bowl to prevent syrup from setting on the bottom. Add milk and blend, then add honey, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice and process until mixture turns from dark orange to light orange in color and becomes creamy, about 4 minutes.

4). Pour mixture into a 9 x 9-inch metal cake pan and freeze for 12 hours, until solid. To serve, remove from freezer and let rest for about 5 minutes, until scoop-able.

2012 Update: I would recommend using Silk unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk instead.

PJ's Organic Skinny {low fat} Burrito

I don't always have time to make everything from scratch so I need a few go to items in my freezer. A PJ's Organic Skinny {low fat} Burrito is the perfect thing for me. Especially with my love affair of Mexican food! Top it with {all natural} salsa and you have a quick meal with lots of protein!

These can be found at my local Costco as seen in the image below. Their website states that they are also available at Whole Foods.

INGREDIENTS:
TORTILLA: (organic unbleached wheat flour, water, organic canola oil, sea salt, baking powder (calcium acid phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, modfied cornstarch)).
FILLING: (organic brown rice, organic black beans, organic cooked white chicken meat, organic tomatoes, water, organic green peppers, organic red bell peppers, organic low fat cheddar cheese (organic milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, annatto (for color)), sea salt, organic garlic powder, organic chili powder, organic cumin).

For more information about their products, check out their website: www.pjsorganics.com

Turkey Pot Pie {with pumpkin crust}

I love my Clean Eating magazine this month! There are so many awesome recipes to try. I've been meaning to come up with a {clean} version of pot pie for my family, but once I saw the recipe for Turkey Pot Pie with Pumpkin Crust I was intrigued to give it a try.

I opted to go with shredded chicken in place of turkey since that is what I had on hand.  I thought it was delicious. I will admit this is my first time using the herb Tarragon. It has an unique, distinct taste. Not sure I loved this herb.

Turkey Pot Pie {with pumpkin crust}

Recipe from: Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients:

CRUST

• 1 1/2 whole wheat flour, plus add for work surface and dusting (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
• 2 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbps real butter
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or jarred pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

FILLING

• 1 tsp {organic} extra virgin olive oil
• 1 white onion, chopped (I used sweet onion)
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch round
• 2 stalks celery, sliced into 1/2 inch crescents
• 1 1/2 cups cut and stemmed green beans (1 inch long pieces-I used frozen)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (thawed, if frozen)
• 2 Tbps whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1 cup 1% milk (Or unsweetened plain non dairy milk)
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 lb cooked boneless {organic} turkey breast, chopped
• olive oil cooking spray (or just use EVOO)

1) Prepare crust: in a large bowl, add 1 1/2 cups flour, sage, baking powder and salt; Stir with a fork to combine. Stir in butter, mashing until mixture is crumbly. Add pumpkin puree and stir until flour is blended and mixture is clumpy. In bowl, use your hands to knead dough 5 to 8 times, just until dough comes together and is soft and slightly sticky, about 1 minute. (Note: Do not overwork dough, If dough sticks to bowl, add a bit more flour.) Place a layer of plastic wrap directly over top of dough and refrigerate until needed, 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
2)  Prepare filling: In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high.  Add onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, beans and corn; cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until slightly tender. Sprinkle 2 Tbps flour over top of vegetables, stirring to coat. Stir in milk, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until milk thickens into a sauce and coats vegetables, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in tarragon, salt, pepper, and turkey and remove from heat.
3) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon filling into dish in an even layer.
4)  Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin dusted with flour, roll dough out to a 1/4 inch thick, 9 x 13 rectangle. Set rolling pin at bottom edge of dough and gently roll dough onto pin so dough drapes over top. Lift rolling pin over baking dish and gently unroll dough over filling. Using a paring knife or kitchen scissors, trim excess overlapping dough from rim. If desired, crimp edges with the tines of a fork or fingers. Cut 6 slits into crust to create steam vents. Transfer to oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until filling bubbles and crust is lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

{clean} Carrot Cake

My husband's favorite cake is Carrot Cake. So when a friend of mine raved about a Carrot Cake recipe that she uses all the time, I had to take a look.  She wanted to see if I could {clean} it up. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too(without the guilt)?  Surely by now you know I love a good challenge.  I took that recipe and made it fit into my clean lifestyle.  It turned out delicious! 

As with any baking recipe I {clean} up, I don't try to go too far the first time around by removing all the fat, cholesterol, and sugar.  However, I managed to cut the sugar by more than half and the fat and cholesterol in this recipe had a major overhaul. Over the past year of {clean eating} I have learned that you can make things taste great and be great for you as well.  And not carry such guilt when you are asked "would you like a slice of cake?"!

 This cake turned out sweet, moist, and carrot-tastic! 

{clean} Carrot Cake

Reciped adapted from www.allrecipes.com


Ingredients:
CAKE:

• 2 {cage free/organic} eggs
• 4 {cage free/organic} egg whites or 1/3 cup egg white liquid
• 1 cup {organic} pure sugar cane (fine)
• 1 tsp {organic} stevia powder
• 2 tsp {pure} vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup Barlean's coconut oil or 1/4 cup applesauce (I use chia seeds instead, see notes)
• 1 cup {all natural, no sugar added} applesauce
• 2 cup {organic} whole wheat pastry flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea or kosher salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots

FROSTING:

• 8 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese (room temp)
• 1 cup {organic} powdered sugar (I get mine at TJ)
• 1 tsp {pure} vanilla extract
• 1 cup pecans (optional)

1). Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spray Canola Oil cooking spray over the inside of 9 x 13 pan.

2). In a large bowl beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, sugar, stevia, and vanilla until combined.

3). In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt,  and cinnamon.

4) Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet and blend with mixer until combined. Pour into pan.

5). Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before icing.

6) For frosting, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.

7) After cake has completely cooled you can add the icing.

NOTE: I prefer my carrot cake to chill in the fridge before serving so the cream cheese is nice and cool. I also sprinkled the cake with all naturally colored orange sugar (www.indiatree.com) and cinnamon. 

If you want to give Chia Seeds a try, you can add 1 Tbps to 1/4 cup of water, stir for a few minutes and let sit for 15 minutes until they become a gel and then add them to the wet. 

KID APPROVED??? YES!

Mini {cleaned up} Cheesecakes

I do love cheesecakes (they are one of my all time favorites!), but I rarely eat them because they are full of fat and leave my stomach in pain from the dairy. However, sometimes it's worth the pain.

We were having my husband's family over to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday and cheesecake is her favorite dessert. I thought this would be a great opportunity challenge to make a {cleaned} up version of cheesecake. Making them individually, like I did for this recipe, will helps keep portion controls in check.  


This recipe is not low fat but just ONE of these little cheesecakes was very rich and rewarding. It was so rich even that I will try to make it with less fat next time and post the results. This recipe is free of artificial colors, preservatives, and white table sugar. 

Mini {cleaned up} Cheesecakes

This recipe was adapted from www.joyofbaking.com
Ingredients:
CRUST:

• 1 cup {all natural} graham crackers crumbs (I used Mi-Del)
• 1 Tbps {all natural} cane sugar or coconut sugar
• 3 Tbps {organic} unsalted butter
• 2-3 Tbps {all natural} apple juice

FILLING:

• 1 package(8 oz) 1/3 less fat cream cheese (room temp)
• 1 package(8 oz) full fat cream cheese (room temp)
• 2/3 cup {all natural} cane sugar (I use super fine)
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 2 large {cage free/organic} eggs (room temp)
• 1 tsp {pure} vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup {low fat} sour cream (room temp)

1)  Preheat oven to 300 degrees and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

2)  In a small bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, cane sugar, melted butter, and apple juice. Press a heaping tablespoon of crumbs onto the bottoms of the 12 muffin cups. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

3)  In a bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed with blender until creamy and smooth. Add the cane sugar and salt and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and sour cream and beat until incorporated. Remove the crusts from the refrigerator and evenly divide the filling among the 12 muffin cups. 

4)  Bake for about 18 -22 minutes or until firm but the centers of the cheesecakes still wobble a little. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (a few hours or even overnight).


NOTE:  To serve, gently peel off the paper liners and place on your serving plate. Serve with {all natural} strawberry sauce, fresh berries, or drizzle with melted dark chocolate. These cheesecakes can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for several days. (I drizzled ours with dark chocolate and returned them to the fridge before serving)

Makes 12 individual cheesecakes. 

KID APPROVED??? YES!

{cleaned} up Birthday Party

I always tell people I try to live life 85% {clean}. I'm not sure where that percentage comes from, but it's a goal. I take that percentage into all aspects of life, even a birthday party.

For my daughters birthday party, it was a Spa theme and the kids started out with a fresh Berry Plate.

Then for lunch they got to select their own lunch items.  Multigrain bread, {all natural} peanut butter  and {all natural} strawberry jam made the PB&Js. Or they could choose Boar's Head Turkey and cheese. Their side choices were {all natural} applesauce, carrots, grapes, or banana. They had a great time selecting and feeling in charge of their lunch. (we served Berry Berry Good Lemonade by Honest and water) 

For dessert we had Zogurt's {all natural} Frozen Yogurt. It's delicious and nutritious. You can read more about it at their website: www.zogurts.com  or stop in and visit them! You won't be disappointed.

And cake pops, lots of cake pops!

Strawberry(box mix) with {all natural} white chocolate and {all natural} pink sprinkles

&

{all natural} Chocolate with Dark chocolate with pearls

{all natural} pumpkin with cream cheese

&

{all natural} vanilla with milk chocolate

 I did fine some {all natural} dinner mints that were quite tasty for the party. And one of her {unclean} favorites: Skittles was served during Foot spa time!

This is one happy 7 year old!

{clean} Chocolate Cake Pops

I apologize for not blogging much lately but my attention has been on preparing for my daughter's 7th birthday party. Party planning is one of my passions and I throw {almost} my whole self into each birthday party.  I made four different flavors of cake pops for the party and this was a crowd pleaser for sure.

{clean} Chocolate Cake Pops

Recipe adapted from Babycakes Manual

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup {organic} whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup {organic} cane sugar ( i use super fine)
• 3 Tbps cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea or kosher salt
• 1/4 cup buttermilk *
• 3 Tbps Organic Virgin Coconut oil (liquid measurement)
• 1 egg (i use cage free/organic)
• 1 tsp {pure} vanilla
• 1/4 cup freshly brewed coffee

Directions:

1).  Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.  Add buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla. Using a mixer, blend until smooth.

2).  Add coffee and continue mixing until coffee is evenly incorporated into mixture.

This is where the recipe will stop for now. I used the Babycakes machine and cooked twelve balls at a time for 4 minutes.  I suggest making mini or regular muffins and keeping an eye on them until a toothpick pulls out clean (probably baking at 350 degrees). I will repost once I have done this. 

Also, I plan to add more nutritional value to this recipe if it's going to making it's way to our table often. Stay tuned for that recipe!

NOTE: I dipped each pop in {organic} 73% dark chocolate. And no, the pearls are not {clean}! 

*Instead of buttermillk I poured 3/4 tsp lemon juice(or vinegar) into a glass measuring cup and then added enough milk to reach a 1/4 cup. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, then use in place of buttermilk in the recipe.