Cooking Your Way to Gorgeous (25 page)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 medium ripe Hass avocado (about 5 ounces, peeled, pitted,
and mashed)—
great for skin glow and digestion

1 cup light brown sugar

¾ cup Truvia Baking Blend

2 large eggs

1 (12-ounce) package dark chocolate chips—
polyphenols

1½ cups chopped pecans—
protein

Preparation:

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2
Mix all the ingredients, except the chocolate chips and pecans, in a large bowl, stirring continuously until smooth.

3
Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans to the mixture.

4
Using a small retractable ice cream scooper or spoon, scoop out ½-inch cookie rounds and drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

5
Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Note: cook time can vary slightly by the pan you use, so for the first batch set a timer for 8 minutes to start and add more time in 2 minute increments until the cookies appear to have a golden brown outer edge.

6
Allow to cool, and enjoy.

PRO-TIP:
A sugar scrub of 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda mixed with raw brown or white sugar will open up pores, help clear skin imperfections, and mattify. Moisten fingers and hands and then rub it on face, décolleté, and neck.

Matcha Green Tea
and Chocolate Swirl Cake

Makes 10 Servings

M
atcha [mAA-cha] is a tea indigenous to Japan that’s very rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and chlorophyll. One glass of matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of nutritional value and antioxidant content! When drinking matcha, whole tea leaves are consumed (not just the steeped liquid, as with other teas), providing 4 to 6 hours of mild, steady energy. Matcha is both a stimulant and a relaxant, perfect for focusing on work, exercise, or play.

Ingredients:

Oil to grease the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup milk—vitamin D

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1-1/2 tablespoons matcha green tea powder

Preparation:

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of a 10-inch round pan with oil.

2
Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

3
In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs and sugar until smooth and light colored, about 2 minutes on high speed with a hand mixer. Add the milk and oil, and mix for another minute. Add in the flour mixture and mix just until blended. The batter will be of pouring consistency but not thin.

4
Stir in the vanilla.

5
Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. Add the cocoa powder to one bowl and mix until blended. Add the green tea powder to the other bowl of batter and mix until blended.

6
To assemble the cake: Using two ¼-size measuring cups, pour a cupful of the white cake batter onto the center of the pan. Then, pour a cupful of the chocolate batter directly on top at the center of the cupful of white cake batter. You will be creating a “tree-ring” pattern as you pour one cup of mix onto the next cup of mix, making the rings spread outward. Repeat until all the batter has been poured into the pan.

7
Bake the cake until a knife inserted at the center comes out clean, approximately 50 minutes. Transfer to a rack and allow to cool. When you cut a slice you will see the alternating color effect in cross-section!

Green Tea (or Matcha) Pound Cake

Makes 6 Servings

T
his lovely cake is worthy of your mother-in-law. With only about 4 grams of fat per slice, this special pound cake offers great flavor plus a touch of medicinal green tea. Enjoy it as an afternoon snack with a cup of soothing hot green tea to double your antioxidant gain.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cake flour

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, or white for more traditional cake

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup margarine, trans-fat free, reduced-fat, soft tub

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 egg whites—low cholesterol, high protein

1 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons matcha, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large Madagascar vanilla bean pod, extracted

Preparation:

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 1-pound loaf pan with cooking oil spray.

2
In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3
In a large bowl, beat the soft tub spread and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add the egg whites and mix well. Mix in the buttermilk, green tea powder, vanilla, and vanilla bean pod extract.

4
On low speed, mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.

5
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top begins to brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely.

Green Tea and Chocolate
Cheesecake

Makes 2 (5-inch) Round Cheesecakes

I
would seriously open up an umbrella-topped street stand just to sell these special cheesecakes. Not only do they look exotic, but the taste is outstanding, and, of course, they have beauty-procuring bennies.

Ingredients: Crust

1/2 cup chocolate wafer crumbs

2 teaspoons Truvia Baking Blend

1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

5 ounces whipping cream

6 ounces cream cheese

1/3 cup Truvia Baking Blend

3-1/2 ounces almond milk

3/4 teaspoon matcha green tea powder

1 teaspoon powdered gelatin, or pectin

Preparation: Crust

1
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter the bottom of two (5-inch) round springform pans.

2
Combine the chocolate wafer crumbs, Truvia Baking Blend, and melted butter in a medium bowl until well combined and crumbly. Press firmly into the bottom of the pans with your fingers.

3
Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.

Filling

1
Whip the cream in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Set the cream aside.

2
In a clean mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft and creamy
(do not overbeat and liquefy it). Add the Truvia Baking Blend and beat to combine.

3
Heat the almond milk in the microwave in a heatproof cup until almost hot (not boiling). Add in the matcha powder and whisk until combined and there are no lumps.

4
Dissolve the gelatin (or pectin) in about 2 tablespoons of water. Note: Make sure gelatin is liquid or it will not blend smoothly with the cheesecake. If the gelatin is solid, heat in a microwave for 10 seconds at a time until liquid.

5
Add the almond milk to the cream cheese and mix until combined.

6
Fold in the whipped cream gently with a rubber spatula until combined.

7
Add the gelatin to the cheesecake mixture and fold until combined.

8
Pour the cheesecake mixture into the prepared pans. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until set. Coat the sides in more chocolate crumbs after you unmold the cheesecakes for added
oomph
.

NO WIGGLE ANTI-AGING GELATIN SERUM

You will need 1 tablespoon of unflavored, powdered gelatin, 1 tablespoon of water, and 1 or 2 drops of olive oil. Scoop out a tablespoon of the powdered gelatin and mix it with the water and olive oil to create a paste. Gently rub a pearl-size amount of the mixture in your palms and then press the viscous mixture onto your face and neck. Use this in addition to—or in place of—your current anti-aging serum, or use at night as an intensive weekly anti-aging serum. Gelatin is derived from collagen, which is the protein that gives skin elasticity, and the olive oil is ultramoisturizing.

Yummy No-Bake Carob Bars

Makes About 10 Bars

T
hese are one of my unique treats that are “safe” to have around the kitchen when impulse-snacking hits. With this bake-free recipe, you can whip up tasty carob bars that are full of minerals and proteins for increased health value. Although eaten in ancient Egypt, carob was most popular in the 1970s, and I’m all about bringing it back. There’s even a parable in the Jewish Talmud that features carob.

Carob is mildly sweet, a good substitute for chocolate, and can be used to make cakes, cookies, candy, pudding, icing, bread, beverages, shakes, ice cream, muffins, fudge, and brownies. Carob contains as much vitamin B
¹
as asparagus or strawberries; as much niacin as lentils or peas; and more vitamin A than eggplant and asparagus. It also contains vitamin B
²
, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, manganese, chromium, copper, and nickel. It is a good source of fiber. Compared to chocolate, it’s three times richer in calcium, has one-third less calories, less fat, and is caffeine-free, but it is also a taste preference and lacks the antioxidants found in dark chocolate
.

Ingredients:

2 cups carob chips

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons whole milk—vitamin D

4 tablespoons butter

3 cups oatmeal—low-cal, high fiber

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation:

1
Grease an 8 x 8-inch glass cake pan with butter. In a saucepan (a double boiler is best), melt together the carob chips, syrup, milk, and butter slowly.

2
Put the oatmeal in a large mixing bowl. When the wet ingredients are melted and stirred together, add the mix to the oats. Then add the nuts. Mix well.

3
Press the mixture into a greased pan. Cut into squares while still warm. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.

Chilled Carob Cream Pie

Makes 12 Servings

A
nother great tasting dessert from the carob camp with the power of honey, gelatin, and vanilla, too. I love anything that’s creamy; I should’ve worked in a dairy!

Ingredients:

1 large pie shell

6 tablespoons carob powder