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Dessert Recipes

Ginger Carob Sorghum Sweet Potato Brownies

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by Bea Garth, copyright 2015

Like most people here on the planet, every once in a while I get a yen for something nice and sweet. I don’t do so well with chocolate given its high histamine content, so carob is a good alternative.

This recipe also uses stevia for most of the sweetener, though I also add in maple syrup. I find if I add in too much stevia the recipe gets bitter. Maple syrup is one of the few sweetners I can tolerate. I even have a problem with boiled honey, agave, or date sugar even though many with histamine issues don’t have a problem with them. Feel free to substitute ingredients as they suit you. Even sugar will do, however I hate what it does to my body. Just kills me! Even though I might like the taste at the time.

The recipe is also egg free. I find using the ground flax seed and chia seed a much better alternative than the eggs. They make these gluten free flours hang together with a wonderful texture. I also put in half a sweet potato, which adds in some sweet while also helping the brownies stay moist and non crumbly.

My bf on the other hand cannot tolerate either carob or stevia, so it just goes to show we are all different. Even the smell of either ingredient baking bothers him!! In such a case, using a similar amount of chocolate powder and sugar (or one of the other sugars mentioned!) or just more maple syrup–will do just fine! Meanwhile I wait til he’s clearly out of the house if I plan on baking these carob stevia brownies! And then open the doors and windows, lol!

If neither the carob nor the chocolate works for you, you could make these into ginger brownies! Just double the amount of ginger, or add more to taste. And maybe put in 1/2 cup to 1 cup more shredded coconut to make up for the carob flour. The extra coconut also adds a great taste!

Recipe: Ginger Carob Brownies:

1st:
Put 1/3 cup butter or coconut oil on low on stove in small pan, cover and let it do its thing!

2nd:
Grind in seed grinder (each separately so grinder does not bind up):
4 Tbsp. sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp. flax seeds
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
As said, grind the above ingredients, and put ground ingredients into a small mixing bowl
Add 1 1/2 cups water, and whisk
Let above mixture sit a bit.

3rd:
Put in blender and then blend:
1/2 medium sized peeled sweet potato, chopped
4 Tbsp. maple syrup (see above alternatives)
The melted 1/3 cup butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup water
pour blended ingredients into the sunflower/chia mixture above.

4th:
Then put another 1/2 cup water into the now empty blender and blend again to remove all the ingredients stuck to the blender’s sides etc. Then add to above wet ingredients. Whisk.

5th:
Then add in 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut–whisk

6th:
Then add in 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. powdered stevia
1 tsp. dried ginger
Whisk everything together. Taste to make sure the mixture will be sweet enough for you.

6th:
Then put dry ingredients in a largish mixing bowl and mix them together well:
2 cups sorghum flour (or rice flour etc.?)
1/2 cup dry carob flour (or chocolate–or not! see above)

7th:
Blend wet ingredients in with the dry in the largish bowl. Again taste to see if the sweetness suits you. Add a little more sweetener if you really think you will want it. IMHO best not to go too sweet!

8th:
Oil square pan with coconut oil and then pour in the above completed mixture into it.

9th:
Make sure oven is hot at 350 degrees Farenheit, and bake for 35-40 minutes. Check with fork to see if done enough, take out of oven and let cool at least 15 minutes.

Then enjoy! Delicious and moist!!

I suggest putting the extra into the freezer if you have high histamine issues (when thee carob brownies have cooled, I cut it up into bars. I then wrap the bars with cellophane or wax paper and put in a covered container in the freezer–a closed bag will also do).

Nice with plain yogurt if you can tolerate it. Some folks even make coconut yogurt which is yet another alternative. Or just plain as said is fantastic, IMHO. Do let me know what you think!

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Dessert Recipes

Apple Blueberry Chia Coconut Sweet Potato Bread

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by Bea Garth, copyright 2015
This is a vegan low histamine bread I make on occasion. The fruit and the sweet potato give it the sweetness. If you want to increase that quality you can by adding in some stevia or maple syrup etc. For me I like it as is, though I often serve it with some thawed frozen blueberries. If you eat yogurt, its great with that! Alternatively, coconut milk or cream would be nice too.

I cut the bread up after it has cooled a while and freeze most of it. That way I can have it on hand when I get the munchies or need to eat something quick.

In this recipe I am using sorghum flour, however rice flour would work equally well, as would a variety of other flours. I like sorghum since I find it causes me less inflammation than other gluten free flours. If berries don’t agree with you, leave them out and just put in some other kind of fruit, or maybe put in more apple–or not??

The thing that makes this bread so wonderful to work with is the combination of flax seeds and chia seeds, both of which I grind up and let soak while I put together the rest of the ingredients. Given their springy adhesive qualities, who needs egg or gluten??

INGREDIENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS:
Begin by slowly melting 1 cup coconut oil on top of the stove in a small covered pot on low.

Place following ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix together with a wire whisk:
3 tblsp. chia seed–fresh grind in nut and seed grinder
2 tblsp. flax seeds–fresh grind in nut and seed grinder (note: its best to grind these two types of seeds separately. Otherwise the grinder has to work too hard.)
1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut (I use dry coconut but one could use fresh–maybe chopped and blended with some of the water from below?)
4 cups water

Then add in:
1 cup melted coconut oil–mix in well with wire whisk with above ingredients.

Then stir in:
2 1/2 cups frozen (or really fresh–not moldy!) blueberries or some other berries or other fruit you tolerate.

Shred: peeled medium large sweet potato (makes 2 1/2 cups packed shredded)–if not enough shred some zucchini to make up the difference.
Then add the shredded potato/zuke to above wet mixture, stirring in.

Chop two to three apples and add to above wet mixture, stirring well.

Dry mix in another bowl:
5 cups sorghum (or rice etc.) flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. ground ginger (or finely chop roughly 3 tbsp. of fresh ginger–if so mix in to above wet ingredients instead)

Mix wet bowl with dry ingredients, or vice versa. Stir well. If necessary, you can knead the dough with your hands. Make sure everything is wet and distributed well.

Oil a large rectangular cake pan (roughly 9″ by 14″) liberally with coconut oil. Pour or place dough into the pan and smooth it into place. Put pan into preheated oven to bake 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees. I usually take the bread out and put aluminum foil on top after its baked 30 to 35 minutes to keep the top from getting too browned–to avoid added amines. And then put it back in the oven with the foil on for the last 10 to 15 minutes.

After the bread cools roughly 15 minutes its ready to eat. I usually cut it up into squares and then wrap each piece — that I haven’t eaten already! I then place the saran wrapped pieces in a covered container in the freezer — waiting for those moments I have a yen for something nice.

Dessert Recipes, Histamine/Amine Reactions, Migraines

FEEL GOOD MELON JUICE

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by Bea Garth, copyright 2015

This tasty melon juice concoction will have you feeling better in no time! It least it has for me. If I am not pro-active, I get migraines, brain fog, and an achey body etc. at the drop of a hat!

So I was craving melons and had my bf buy me a honeydew melon last night. I found out there is a big reason why I had the craving: melons are a natural source of superoxide dismutase (S.O.D.)! High SOD has a potent anti-inflammatory action. Basically it is nature’s most powerful anti-oxidant. Its wonderful for the skin and brain. Everything I read about it says it is a powerful anti aging agent–effective against degenerative diseases like heart disease and diabetes, not to speak of fibromyalgia, migraines etc.

A little goes a long ways even though it is easily destroyed by cooking or going through the digestive tract. Nevertheless, I can attest I almost instantly felt better drinking my honeydew juice concoction, so at least part of it hung around long enough to have a noticeable effect on my poor achey head! Its very possible that some of the SOD is almost instantly absorbed from under the tongue–so I suggest you sip rather than glug the juice down. It gives you longer to enjoy its potent zingy taste too!

Apparently, according to Healthdigezt (see below): “a glass of cantaloup juice” can “provide one’s daily requirement of vitamins A & C, both of which are free-radical scavengers and collagen-promoters.” Melons “are also rich in vitamin K, Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, folate, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B6 , niacin (B3), thiamine (B1), and the antioxidant powerhouse, Superoxide Dismutase (SOD)…Ginger may help lighten age spots and improve circulation.” Plus “Ginger’s powerful antioxidant, gingerol, not only fights skin-damaging free radicals, but also promotes
smoothness and evenness of skin tone and texture.”

From what I have read elsewhere, cantaloup, honeydew and other melons have (almost? if not the same) equal healing SOD content etc., although its likely the cantaloup has more vitamin A given its orange color.

The ginger in the following concoction also functions as a powerful anti histamine/ anti inflammatory, natural antiseptic and general digestive and circulatory agent. It also helps with such skin conditions as acne, eczema, hives and psoriasis.

As an addendum I’d like to note that melons and likely melon juice are just fine if frozen. My doctor says melon balls for instance are delicious. A friend of mine says melons can also be the basis of a
great sorbet. Why not?? I want to try it out too. For now here’s the Juice!

MELON JUICE RECIPE (makes one generous portion):

– ½ honeydew or cantaloup etc. (skin the melon after cutting up in long slices)
– 1 or 2 caps of vitamin C (I use the sago palm variety since I am sensitive to citrus, corn etc.) or 1 lime or an equivalent amount of sour berries to make the juice a little less sweet
– ½-inch ginger (be careful not to add too much–gives a real zing)

NOTE: I got inspired by a recipe in http://www.healthdigezt.com