Jennifer & the Giant Peach Obsession – Bourbon Peach Frozen Yogurt with Caramel-Pecan Swirl

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

Okay, this is my last peach post for the summer, I promise. Maybe. After I prepped and put up most of the peaches in the freezer and we ate all we could, I still had plenty of ripe peaches begging for love. A couple nights ago I made a Pecan Peach Crisp for my gluten-free guests, served with vanilla ice cream melting at just the right speed to fill in every nook and cranny in the almond meal and oat crust. The rich, decadent ice cream got me thinking about a lighter version for “every day” indulging. So, I hauled out the electric ice cream maker, threw in a carton of plain, no-fat yogurt sweetened with a bit of Stevia and blended with a couple of those juicy peaches I had sautéed earlier with a splash of bourbon. I snuck a spoonful in for quality control and my hunch was confirmed – to-die-for delicious! But what if I swirled in a few ribbons of low-fat caramel sauce and a sprinkling of sugared pecans? Oh my! Find out every luscious detail and how to make the recipe yourself on my recent blog post for Living Litehouse, “Sublimely Summer, Bourbon Peach Frozen Yogurt with Caramel-Pecan Swirl.”

Don’t forget to visit the Litehouse Foods blog, Living Litehouse for more photos.

Sublimely Summer, Bourbon Peach Frozen Yogurt with Caramel-Pecan Swirl

3 ripe peaches; peeled
pitted and sliced
3 Tbsp bourbon
3 cups unsweetened no-fat plain yogurt
6 packets Stevia*
½ cup Litehouse Foods Low-Fat Caramel Dip (room temperature)
1/3 cup honey pecans (or plain pecans) coarsely chopped

Directions

1. In a small skillet, add peaches and bourbon over medium-high heat. Continue stirring for approximately 3-4 minutes until the juices are browning and the alcohol has burned off. Allow to cool to room temperature.

2. Place the peach mixture, yogurt and Stevia in a blender; puree until smooth.

3. Transfer the peach mixture to work bowl of electric ice cream machine and process according to manufacturer’s directions (usually about 20 minutes).

4. Spoon peach frozen yogurt (still soft-serve) into 9”x 9” pan and drizzle the room-temperature caramel dip into large ribbons across the top. Sprinkle evenly with pecans. Drag back and forth across the pan with a dull knife to gently redistribute some of the caramel and nuts.

5. Serve immediately or transfer to a container and allow to firm up for an hour or two in the freezer.

*If you prefer, skip the Stevia sweetener and substitute vanilla-flavored non-fat yogurt for the plain yogurt.

Peach-a-Palooza | Healthy Ideas + Gluten-Free Peach Pecan Crisp Recipe

Posted on August 10, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

I am so sweet on summer. All the delicious, ripe fruit puts a big smile on my face and I’m grinning ear-to-ear thanks to a windfall of peaches and nectarines. This week I’ve been gobbling up the seasonal treats faster than a greedy squirrel in an orchard. But that’s just fine because peaches are much better for me than M&Ms. Peaches can add nutritional heft to any meal or snack, offering significant amounts of vitamins (especially vitamins A, C and Niacin), more than 10 percent of daily fiber needs, and lots of potassium. Oh, and peaches are 89 percent water, so they help with hydration, too!

Since I ended up with 40 pounds of fruit on my latest haul, I decided to wow the family with some healthier desserts made with peaches. After flipping through my copy of The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook, I was drawn into the chapter titled “Fruit Desserts & More.” With all the drool-worthy food photos, it was hard to decide which dessert to make. Should I break out my springform pan for the Plum-Peach Upside-Down Almond Cake or try out the Peach Shortcakes. Within this 500+ page resource of healthy recipes, there is also a simple recipe for Pan-Roasted Peaches that would be sublime served with a little drizzle of caramel or vanilla ice cream (or both!). So many choices, it’s a good thing I have a lot of peaches and willing taste-testers.

For last night’s dessert, I decided to prepare it Jennifer-style and just make up the recipe as I went along. I’m calling it Gluten-Free Peach Pecan Crisp in a Skillet. Inspired by the Pear Oat Crisp from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook, I tweaked it up a bit by adding some Jack Daniels (ahem) and swapping out the flour in the topping for almond meal. And, substituting peaches for pears. And, adding pecans. Okay, I made the whole thing up. For my gluten-free guests, I would like to point out that most experts say that people with celiac disease can safely drink distilled alcoholic beverages, even those that are made with gluten grains (which includes whiskey). That’s because distillation supposedly removes all of the gluten protein molecules responsible for the bad reactions, rendering the drinks gluten-free. However, if whiskey disagrees with you then you can swap it out for dark rum (non-gluten grain) or simply omit. No biggie.

Gluten-Free Peach Pecan Crisp {In a Skillet}

Filling:

1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup bourbon whiskey
1 teaspoons lemon juice
3 pounds fresh freestone peaches (approximately 7), pitted and sliced into wedges
½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Topping:

2/3 cup all-purpose almond meal
2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ cup honey

For the filling, heat the oven to 400 F degrees with rack in the middle position. In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, melt butter and stir in the whiskey and lemon juice until combined. Mix in peach slices until coated and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes to cook off alcohol. Stir in chopped pecans.

For topping, mix together almond meal, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until blended. Add melted butter and honey and mix until incorporated.

Spread topping evenly over the top of peaches; gently press down with clean hands or back of wooden spoon.

Place skillet on rimmed baking sheet (to catch any juices that might overflow) and bake in 400 F degree oven for approximately 20 – 25 minutes or until peach juices are bubbling and topping has browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.

Recipe Update: Do NOT store the leftover crisp in the cast iron skillet. Transfer to a glass or plastic storage container.

Peach Upside-Down Almond Cake – from America’s Test Kitchen

Even though I winged it on this recipe, you should really check out the The American’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook from which it was inspired. From breakfasts and lunches to dinner entrees and sensible sides (plus desserts!), this cookbook is a compendium of healthy classics that I feel great about serving my family. There are lots of cool things about the cookbook including the binder- style design that allows you to take the pages in and out, if you please. Plus, the recipes are very detailed, there’s no way you can mess one up. In addition to explicit step-by-step instructions, there are also tips on how to get many kitchen tasks done like blanching peaches or thawing out steaks quickly and also tests results and reviews on a lot of the current products on the cooking gadget and gear market.

I’m also excited to announce that I am a new member of the Cooking Light Blogger Connection (so new that my profile isn’t even up yet). I have loved this magazine for years and have so many dog-eared copies laying around to kick-start my kitchen creativity. Check out some of the favorite peach recipes from the editors at Cooking Light, the recipes for Peach and Brie Quesadillas with Lime-Honey Dipping Sauce and Golden Peach Soup with Crab and Shrimp Ceviche both caught my eye. YUM!

Golden Peach Soup with Crab and Shrimp Ceviche - from Coolkng Light

Golden Peach Soup with Crab and Shrimp Ceviche – from Cooking Light

Peach and Brie Quesidillas from Cooking Light

Summer Loving |Roasted Strawberry Coconut Milk Sherbet

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

Roasting strawberries, hmmm. Normally I would never have enough leftover strawberries in the fridge to consider getting creative with them, but after a trip to the market today I was blessed with a windfall of red, ripe strawberries that were just begging for an adventure. Since it’s been so hot here in Austin (and everywhere else, I’ve heard), I decided that a strawberry sherbet would be the ideal way to end the day. Actually, I think I have a thing for frozen strawberry treats, check out my recipes for Strawberry Lemonade Coconut Water Pops and ‘Whey Cool’ Frozen Strawberry Pie.

But, today my mind is going elsewhere with the strawberries; I’m looking to put a new spin on a sure-thing sherbet. In the past, roasting other fruits has worked well for me, magnifying the flavors and intensifying the sweetness. So, I decided to throw caution to the wind, turn on the oven, and give these beauties a blast of heat. I also used coconut sugar and unsweetened coconut milk (the kind from the carton, not the thick sweetened stuff from a can) in my recipe to keep it gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and paleo-friendly. Whoohoo, Roasted Strawberry & Coconut Milk Sherbet for everyone!

Roasted Strawberry & Coconut Milk Sherbet Recipe

4 cups strawberries (approx. 1 lb), hulled and halved
1 cup coconut sugar*
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (from carton)
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

Combine strawberries and sugar on a rimmed metal baking sheet, tossing until all berries have been coated with sugar.

Roast strawberries, stirring occasionally, about 12 – 15 minutes until juicy and bubbling. Keep a close eye on oven to make sure sugar doesn’t start burning. Let mixture cool to room temperature.

Add strawberry mixture, coconut mile and sea salt into blender and puree for until smooth, approximately 1 minute.

Process sherbet mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Transfer sherbet to freezer-proof, airtight container until ready to serve.

Let soften for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping.

Serves 6.

*Coconut sugar is actually dried sap from the coconut tree and has a lower glycemic index than conventional sugar. However, it does have a brown color which makes the sherbet have a darker color. If you want “pink,” you’ll have to use white sugar . . . uh, and maybe food color (eek)!

Plethora of Pears? Try this Cranberry-Ginger Pear Crumble Recipe

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

When you have a plethora of pears that won’t last until the morning, make pear cobbler. It’s that whole lemon-lemonade philosophy! I came into a large windfall of sliced red pears that didn’t get used in a recent cooking demonstration because I couldn’t bear to see them be thrown away. I mean, not are pears a favorite winter fruit high in fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins, they are just darn tasty. Plus, someone else had already done all the legwork, lovingly slicing them and tossing with a bit of lemon juice for freshness. So, with no shame (my son calls me a raccoon for this behavior), I skillfully rescued them from their ultimate demise in the dimpsty-dumpster. “Wait, I’ll take those!” I say like a brash bandit! And, when I got home, I whipped up this scrumptious Cranberry-Ginger Pear Crumble from ingredients I already had squirreled away in the pantry. That reminds me, next time I will add nuts!

Cranberry-Ginger Pear Crumble Recipe

6 pears, sliced (choose pears that are ripe yet still firm)
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter cut into bits

Topping:

1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, cut into bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss first six ingredients together in a bowl. Pour pear mixture into a 9” x 13” baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine all topping ingredients and mix with the back of a fork until crumble and butter is broken down into very small pieces. Top pears with topping and pat down. Bake uncovered for 30 – 40 minutes, or until brown and bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or alternative of your choice.

This is what it looks like before baking, if you wanted to do omit the topping!

Note: You can peel the pears if you like; however I prefer to keep the skin intact because it’s a rich source of nutrients. Remember, natural color (not artificial) usually indicates lots of vitamins and anti-oxidants.

‘Whey Cool’ Strawberry Sherbet Pie with Protein Powder Recipe

Posted on June 23, 2012 by Jennifer FIsher

Pie has a bad reputation and it’s no wonder why. A small slice of apple pie with a modest ½ cup scoop of vanilla ice cream has 571 calories, 27 grams of fat and scant protein. Of course, a piece of decadent pie on special occasions isn’t going to ruin results earned from working out, running or whatever you do; but, it just isn’t the right fuel to keep an active person feeling well and going strong. If you have a sweet tooth (like me) and want a little slice of heaven more frequently than on July 4^th and Thanksgiving, whip up my ‘Whey Cool’ Strawberry Sherbet Pie with Protein Powder tonight. Based on a super-easy summer recipe my mom used to make during my childhood in blazing hot Arizona, this no-bake pie is modified for maximum performance with no-sugar added and fat-free products along with a couple scoops of protein powder. Yeah, that’s right, I said protein powder.

‘Whey Cool’ Strawberry Sherbet Pie with Protein Powder Recipe

1 quart no-sugar added sherbet
2 scoops whey protein powder, vanilla flavor
1 8-oz container no-fat, dairy-free whipped topping, thawed
1 pre-made chocolate cookie pie crust (Keebler Ready-Crust Chocolate)
½ cup fat-free chocolate syrup
1 pound fresh strawberries, washed, cored and sliced

Scoop entire container of sherbet into large mixing bowl; let sit for a few minutes to soften a bit. Sprinkle protein powder over sherbet a little at a time (to prevent clumping); mix in by hand or with beaters. After all protein powder is incorporated, fold in whipped topping with spatula until combined. Spoon entire mixture into prepared chocolate cookie crust; freeze for 3 hours or overnight until firm. To serve, cut into 8 slices with knife run through hot water. Top each slice with 2 ounces of strawberries and 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup. Serves 8.

Nutrition information (per 1/8 of pie with toppings): calories 275, total fat 6g, saturated fat 1g, trans fat 2g, total carbs 48g, sugars 9g, protein 9g.

Note: If you want to clean this recipe up even more, skip the pie crust and just spoon the sherbet mixture into the pie pan. This removes about 100 calories, 4g of total fat (2 of which are trans fat), 14g carbs and 6g sugars.

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