low-glycemic sweeteners: stevia and xylitol

Mar 132012
 

My dad recently found out that he’s having some blood-sugar issues. He’s not diabetic, but it’s something that he needs to start being more aware of. Controlling sugar intake is a bit of a pet project for me. When I’m taking in a lot of sugar, even if it’s from fruit or other healthy foods, it really affects my energy levels and moods…and… imma be real here… my weight. Real talk.

I made my dad a little care package of snacks that he could have without feeling deprived. I portioned out little containers of chia chocolate pudding (stevia-sweetened), cinnamon-sugar (xylitol-sweetened) popcorn, savory nutritional yeast popcorn, chocolate avocado pudding (mix of stevia and xylitol, hint of agave for texture) and greek yogurt (stevia-sweetened. also: he’s not vegan.) While the chia pudding was a little weird for him, he generally loved everything, especially the cinnamon-sugar popcorn. I’ll be posting that recipe soon – it’s not raw but it’s vegan, gluten-free, and low-glycemic, and also takes about 1 minute to make!

Ok, so a little about these sweeteners:

Stevia is the sweetener that most people recognize as the natural low-glycemic choice – it’s gone so mainstream that it’s even sold in Trader Joe’s now! (just be sure to get the extract, not the milk-based diluted stuff) While you definitely can’t use it to sweeten everything (it’s got a bit of an aftertaste) it’s perfect for smoothies and green shakes. It’s made from the stevia plant, which is a great little plant to add to your herb garden. I keep a plant on my back deck and and throw in some leaves when I’m making green shakes – can’t really get more natural than that!

Xylitol is great because it has more of a sugar-grain consistency – but man-oh-man does it have an unfortunate name! It sounds totally chemically and gross, amiright?? It’s a naturally-occurring sugar substitute found in the fibers of fruits and vegetables. It also has more of a 1:1 ratio of sweetness with sugar, as opposed to stevia which is so concentrated. In fact, if I’m craving it a breakfast treat, I’ll make cinnamon toast with sprouted bread, coconut oil, xylitol, and a bit of cinnamon.

Try them out and let me know how it goes!

 

 

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where you at

May 022012
 

Friends: If you’re confused about what Sidesaddle’s doing these days, well, that makes two of us. The truth is, I got the biz all legal and legit.. and then realized that there was no way I could keep it afloat given my outrageously high costs (my ingredients are VERY pricey) and my lack of startup capital. Aside from that, my website got hacked, which was really discouraging and time-sucking problem. I have to rebuild completely, but I’m trying to think of it as a fresh start.

So, I’m making a pivot.

I ‘ll continue to teach classes, both free intro classes for the Skill Exchange at Pot and Pantry, and full-blown-eat-your-face-off dessert classes at Workshop. I have a couple other projects which, if they come to fruition, will be REALLY big deal, so keep your fingers crossed for me, willya?

It’s been tough going lately, but I think things are about to get a whole lot better :)

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recipe: mango chili wraps

Mar 032012
 

Molly DeCoudreaux for Refinery29

Nutritional Notes: Almond butter is full of heart-healthy fats and is a good source of folate, calcium, and non-meat protein. 

Shell Ingredients: 
Half a head of cabbage
1 carrot, julienned
1 bell pepper, julienned
1 mango, thinly sliced
1 handful sprouts

Filling Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1-2 Tbsp. chili flakes
¼ cup maple syrup
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup almond butter
1 Tbsp. nama shoyu
2 Tbsp. chopped ginger
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup walnuts
1 cup cashews

In a high-speed blender, puree all the filling ingredients, except the cashews. Add in the cashews; pulse a few times, but keep it chunky. To assemble, lay out a cabbage leaf, place a few tablespoons of the filling vertically down the center of the leaf. Arrange carrot, bell pepper, mango, and some sprouts. Fold the sides in, and eat as is. To add flair to your plating, tie wraps with a green onion or chive.

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recipe: caramelized onion and sage tart

Mar 022012
 

Molly DeCoudreaux for Refinery29

Nutritional Notes: Onions have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, which are great for surviving cold and flu season untouched.

Crust Ingredients:
3 walnuts
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ tsp. salt

Filling Ingredients:
3 cups cashews, soaked
Handful of sage leaves
2 Tbsp. thyme leaves
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
Pinch of salt

Topping Ingredients:
5 onions, thinly sliced
1 cup cashews, soaked
Juice of one lemon
3 Tbsp. nama shoyu
2 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup brown rice vinegar
½ cup water

For the crust: Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until it starts to crumble. Combine remaining ingredients. Press into 1 large or several small tart pans. If you have a dehydrator, dehydrate at 115 degrees, overnight. If you’re using an oven, use the lowest heat setting, and cook until dry and firm to the touch.

For the filling: Combine soaked walnuts, olive oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt in a food processor. Add sage and thyme, and pulse a few more times.

For the topping: Combine together walnuts, lemon juice, nama shoyu, olive oil, and brown rice vinegar in a food processor. If it looks too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Place onions on a teflex sheet in the dehydrator, or on parchment paper in the oven on a low setting. Dehydrate for 4-8 hours, or cook until onions have softened. Coat onions with dressing.

Assemble. Spread filling on prepared crusts. Top with caramelized onions. Garnish with fresh sage leaves.

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recipe: ginger sesame salad

Mar 022012
 

Molly DeCoudreaux for Refinery29

Salad Ingredients:
4 sweet peppers, julienned
1 cup jicama, julienned
1 cup carrot, julienned
1 cup zucchini, julienned
1 cup summer cabbage, thinly sliced
Bunch of baby romaine, thinly sliced
Handful of mint, thinly sliced

Dressing Ingredients:
¼ cup sesame oil
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup sesame seeds
½ cup nutritional yeast
¼ apple cider vinegar
¼ maple syrup
1 tsp. ginger powder
Pinch of salt and black pepper

Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. All you need to do is cut up the veggies, and mix the dressing, either with a whisk or in a blender.

Nutritional Notes: Apple cider vinegar aids digestion by balancing the acid-alkaline environment of the digestive tract. Nutritional yeast, just like the name says, is rich in B-complex vitamins, which are otherwise hard to find in plants.

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