And instead of saying, "Now it's time to get back to the way I should be eating", I'm going to continue to look at my journey with food as just that... a journey.
When you have to live a life of strict eating, sometimes you need to allow yourself to have something that you know you shouldn't. And you need to eat it without guilt. And thoroughly enjoy it. Make it worth it. It should be, after all, what it is... a treat. Something you occasionally indulge in. Keyword: occasionally.
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I was craving something sweet and easy to make for lunch, but wanted to stick with the very best ingredients for my health today. So, I tried these.
These pancakes do not disappoint! A wee bit crispy on the outside, but airy and fluffy goodness on the inside. Yum!
Substitutions:
1 tsp stevia powder, in place of the brown sugar
1 c unsweetened almond milk, in place of the buttermilk/rice/soy milk
Notes:
I did not top mine with the syrup or berries. I topped mine with the two recipes following this one: first with some Butterscotch Walnut-Coconut Butter and then with some Raspberry Compote.
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Notes:
I have made this recipe twice, two different ways. I have made it where I substituted stevia powder for the lucuma powder and I have made it exactly the way Ricky made it. I have made this in my blender (which is not a high-powered blender) and I have made it in my food processor. While the flavor, both times, was amazing, the consistency of mine does not turn out quite like Ricky's picture. Mine is chunkier and drier. I still love it and I'll still continue to make it, I just wanted you to be aware that it may not be as smooth as Ricky's picture.
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Sugar-Free Raspberry Compote
This recipe was inspired by the Raspberry Compote that you'll find linked to the cupcake recipe below. I wanted a sugar-free version of the compote.
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 tsp stevia powder
Combine the raspberries and sugar in a small skillet and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool.
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We had some friends over for a grill out in the backyard. My friend loves all things chocolate and I knew her favorite fruit is raspberries, so when I found this recipe I thought it would be a great treat!
Substitutions:
I wanted to be able to eat the cupcake, too, so I made a few anti-candida diet-friendly substitutions.
Cupcakes:
*apple cider vinegar for white vinegar
*I made my own gluten-free flour blend: 1/2 c brown rice flour + 1/8 c tapioca flour + 3/4 tsp guar gum.
*guar gum for the xanthum gum
*3/4 tsp stevia powder for the sugar
*coconut oil for the vegetable oil
I made all the toppings and served them separately, so everyone could pick and choose what they wanted.
Mint Frosting:
*alcohol-free vanilla extract for the vanilla bean paste
Raspberry Compote:
*see Sugar-Free version above
Chocolate Ganache:
*I used my Salted Dark Chocolate Bar recipe, but omitted the salt. I threw the leftover "ganache" in the freezer for a chocolate bar!
Chocolate Cookie Crumbes:
*I used Newman O's Original
Notes:
This is a really fun dessert, because you get to add whatever you toppings you want. The Mint Frosting was a mild mint flavor and oh-so-good (and no, it's not healthy, sorry!) This dessert can be as "indulgent" as you want or you can just stick to the cupcake and ganache and you've got yourself an anti-candida dessert!
