Toast Topper #54: Terry's Chocolate Marmalade

Chocolate is one of the most universal foods out there. It's hard to think of something that completely clashes with every cocoa product, and when it comes to bittersweet or unsweetened solid bars or pure cocoa powder, both sweet and savoury possibilities open up in a variety of flavour profiles. Of course, one of chocolate's all-time perfect pairings is fruit. Combined with the fresh, bright flavours of sub-acid to citrus fruits, the sweetness and richness of the cacao bean and sugar combination lighten, creating an enjoyable, sophisticated melange in the mouth.

Chocolate companies have been capitalizing on the fruit-cocoa combination for years, and the products of their creativity come out full force during the holidays. After seeing walls and walls of "chocolate + (name your fruit)" bars and bonbons over the Christmas season, I got the inspiration to try my hand at making a breakfast-friendly spread with the nuances of the famous chocolate-orange candy my mom absolutely adores. By using my favourite, no-sugar-needed pectin, I kept the tang and bitter edge of the pure base ingredients, adding just enough sugar to offset the bite of the citrus membrane in the body of the marmalade. Far from being a sickly-sweet candy box confection, the finished mixture is more of a bittersweet, "grown up" treat with faint hints of the holiday stocking-stuffers. If you're a fan of the chocolate oranges, try a smear of this on toast for a change - just don't try to whack it on the floor!

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays
 

Easy to be Green Chocolate Chip Cookies #SundaySupper

Like I alluded to yesterday, I don't believe in "good" and "bad" foods, detox diets or "quick fixes" for this life we all have. I value flavour and nutrition in tandem - and while it sounds impossible some times, I tell you it's a delicious learning curve! How else would we have discovered the decadence of
Nutella Stuffed Black Bean and Banana Cookies, Very Red Velvet Brownies or these Fudge Brownies?

Today for #SundaySupper, I decided to make one of the staffer's favourite cookies. Not only are they deliciously rich, moist and chewy, but they have no oil or butter in the dough. Instead, the creaminess of a ripe, buttery avocado adds all the good fat you'd want, without any off-putting flavours at all. If anything, the avocado lends an almost "browned butter" type of nuttiness that's only improved upon with the whole grain flours! For extra "oomph", I tossed in a scoop of protein powder (left over from my stepbrother's pre-wedding training kick last year), and kept the sugar down with xylitol.

While I wouldn't say they're "health food", I will say they're mighty tasty - and perhaps slightly better for you than the storebought Mr. ________ or Mrs. _________.

Lets see what other healthier options are on the menu tonight!

Bright Beverages

• Almond Mocha Smoothie from The Foodie Army Wife
• Chocolate-Covered Berries Green Smoothie from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Citrus DeTox Spa Water from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Peachilious Smoothie from Peanut Butter and Peppers

Blissful Breakfast Items

• Apple Crumble Smoothie Bowl from Try Anything Once Culinary
• Light Eggs Benedict from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Multigrain Scones from The Texan New Yorker
• Nutty Granola Bars from Pies and Plots
• Reduced Sugar Donuts from The Ninja Baker

Appetizing Starters

• Broccoli Pesto from Curried Cantaloupe
• Fava Bean and Avocado Guacamole from Pancake Warriors
• Homemade Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter from Wallflour Girl
• Norwegian Egg Benedict from Brunch with Joy
• Roasted Pumpkin and Chevre Bruschetta from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Spicy Curried Lentil Spread with Winter Veggies from Lifestyle Food Artistry

Savoury Soups and Sides

• Butternut Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Soup from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Light Creamed Roasted Vegetable Soup from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Detox Chicken Bok Choy Soup from Nosh My Way
• French Potato Leek Soup from Curious Cuisiniere
• Gluten Free Chicken Pho Soup from Gluten Free Crumbley
• Marinated Tomato and Mozzarella Salad from From Gate to Plate
• Quinoa Mango Pomegranate Spinach Salad with White Balsamic Vinigrette from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Red Cabbage and Golden Raisin Salad from girlichef
• Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Endive Slaw with Champagne Vinaigrette from Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Spinach and Black Bean Ravioletti Soup from Big Bear’s Wife

Marvelous Mains

• Black Pepper Tofu with Black Garlic Sauce from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Fish Steamed with Spicy Couscous from Food Lust People Love
• Greek Style Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce from Nik Snacks
• Kale Pesto with Squash Noodles from Ruffles & Truffles
• Mexican Turkey Cutlets from Magnolia Days
• Meyer Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs, Fennel & Sweet Potato from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Portuguese Kale Soup from Recipes Food and Cooking
• Salmon with Mushroom Sauce from Cooking Chat
• Skinny Chicken-Leek Pot Pie from The Weekend Gourmet
• Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Quinoa from Bobbi’s Kosy Kitchen
• Slow Cooker Italian Barley & Sausage from Foxes Loves Lemons
• Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwiches from Food Done Light
• Tomato Goat Cheese Arugula Flatbread from Family Foodie

Delightful Desserts

• Easy to be Green Chocolate Chip Cookies from What Smells So Good?
• Fruit Parfait from Desserts Required
• Maple Pear Scones from Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Easy Blackberry Crumble from The Perfect Brownie

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Beet and Carrot Soup

One thing that stays constant every January is the sudden upswing of people in the gym, health food store and diet centres. Some of them are truly looking to make a change - taking care to understand the "whys" behind the "hows" and implementing changes slowly. Others, though, are so hard-wired to look for an "instant fix" that they scour the earth for magic bullets and detoxes. You usually find out by February 1 which camp people are in.

I hate to say it as a nutritionist, but I used to be in the second group - I truly hated the gym, loved my junk food and was constantly on the look for fat-burners, cleanses and whatever else I thought would help my cause. By the third week of January, I was buying candy on the way home from school, finding excuses to skip the gym and was frustrated that all those pills did nothing to get me to a size 6. Over time, though, I wound up doing a total 180 - I'm a huge vegetable freak now (while my favourite food is still dark chocolate), hate missing the gym classes I take (but I admit I still won't go for just the machines) and prefer to get my physical and emotional nutrition from things that taste good that I can make from scratch, not pop a pill for.

While many people look at the use of beets, garlic and citrus in this light lunch as "detox foods", I argue that the whole dish is cleansing. Not only are the ingredients wholesome and fresh, but getting into the habit of cooking and eating better is a type of mental clear-out as well. The fact that a bowl of this is delicious and warming as well as good-for-you should put you on the track towards eliminating any guilt from the holidays - what's done is done. Make your next step a forwards one.
Finally, in Jewish theology, beets are known as “silka,” meaning removal. Eating beets is supposed to clear any spiritual roadblocks from last year's mistakes, ensuring a prosperous New Year ahead.

But more than anything, it's a perfect Winter-friendly lunch from the kitchen that freezes and packs well, and with a hunk of crusty bread will keep you satisfied until dinner!

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays

Lentil - Laced Carrot Cake

I love discovering other cultural traditions through food. Take the coming of the New Year, for example - there are hosts of "good luck" and "fruitful future" foods and recipes out there! Obviously, some of them are relatively well-known - black eyed peas, lentils, and greens - but I discovered recently that grapes, pork and fish are traditional New Year's foods too, and when you look at other (non-Western calendar) New Year's traditions you'll find honey, oats, carrots,beets, candy, pancakes and doughnuts too!

In celebration of all things lucky and New Year's-y, I wanted to share (yet another) carrot cake with everyone. I packed it as full of good-fortune foods as I could - lentils and carrots for "money", grains and seeds for fertility and fruitfulness and a hint of sugar for a sweet future. The roundness of the cake also has the meaning of "infinity", boding well for the next 365 days! As an added bonus, the cake is relatively nutritious as well, being made with legumes, whole grains, less sugar and of course the vegetables! If you need an excuse to bust out a cake even after the December glut, you can take heart that this recipe is also nut-free and vegan, with no need for frosting! 

Candied Pumpkin Cake

Happy New Year, everyone!

2015 for me began quietly at home, hanging out with my sis, the cats and the rats (yes, I said rats. They're adorable!). Apart from a one hour TV special, nothing overly unique conspired, since over the holidays we both somehow transform into night owls anyway so after-midnight bedtimes aren't really all that unique! However, I for one love nights like that, because there's no circumstance or fancy-pants airs to get in the way of simply spending time with others.

Like my holiday "un-parties", the cake I made as a "farewell to the holiday gluttony" treat is unassuming on the surface, but once you break into the plain, golden crumb there's no denying a glimmer of something special. Finally taking a break from chocolate on chocolate on chocolate (although, really, why?), I looked to my stash of Turkish Spice-Candied Pumpkin with it's rich spices and complex sweetness for a flavourful body. The light-textured, whole grain crumb took on slightly nutty notes thanks to sprouted Kamut flour, ground pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil - ingredients that also added to the "nutrition" factor of the confection (it is the season for resolutions after all - although my resolution every year is to not make resolutions!).

Obviously this recipe came about with previously made Turkish Spice-Candied Pumpkin in mind. However, if you don't get a chance to make that first (although I do recommend it!), peeled and diced peaches, persimmons or mango would suffice for the pieces of pumpkin, while honey mixed with ¼ tsp vanilla, ¼ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp allspice and a pinch each of cardamom, ground ginger and ground cloves would do nicely. The spices go perfectly with a strong cup of coffee, and while it isn't what I would call intensely sweet, it is rich enough to slake that 3PM craving!

What was your favourite part of New Year's Eve? Did you party? Keep it quiet? Or sleep through the countdowns? Did you make a resolution? Tell me in the comments below!