I was really excited to make this simple and super easy blueberry peach crumble today, given the fact that both fruits are in season. Often times, I crave something sweet, but don’t have much time to be in the kitchen baking, so I typically turn to making some sort of a fruit crumble.

If you are not much of a baker, don’t have much time or want to bake something simple, crumble recipes are super easy to put together. There is minimal prep work since you just have to mix a few ingredients together for the topping and place everything on a baking dish. Pretty much from start to finish, it will take about 10 minutes to prepare this dessert. What I also love about this recipe is that it is extremely versatile. Not only can you use any type of fruit that you would like, but you can also add other healthy ingredients to the topping.

For this recipe, I have added unsweetened shredded coconut, as well as chopped nuts. They both work great, so if you would like to add some crunch, go ahead and add any type of chopped nuts you like. I always try to reduce the sugar and calories in my desserts, especially when having fresh fruit as one of the main ingredients.

In this recipe, I used Truvia Nectar, a blend of stevia leaf extract and honey with 50% fewer calories than sugar, to add the taste and sweetness of honey to the fruit crumble while keeping the sugar to only 16 grams per serving! And since Truvia Nectar is twice as sweet as honey, you only need half as much (remember ½ teaspoon of Truvia Nectar is equal to 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey). For my diabetic readers who are managing sugar intake, and those wanting to reduce sugar in their diets, this may be a great option for you.

It was also a great addition in the topping, adding a touch of sweetness and helping to get the consistency just right! And since it’s a liquid, I avoided adding extra coconut oil, helping to keep the fat and carbohydrate content low. A win win.

I actually wish I doubled the batch of the crumble because it was just enough for 4 servings—next time I will! This could also be served with a little bit of yogurt or ice cream, though it is great on its own!

I hope you like this amazing, super easy and reduced-calorie blueberry peach crumble.

Enjoy!

Blueberry peach crumble

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh peaches
• 2  cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats, gluten free
• 1 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup Truvia nectar, maple syrup will work as well
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 F. In a small mixing bowl combine the peaches, blueberries, arrowroot powder, and Truvia Nectar. Combine. Place the fruit mixture in a baking dish and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients until you obtain a cohesive mixture. Spread this mixture evenly over the peaches.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top starts to brown. Best if served warm or as we did with some ice cream.

The post Blueberry peach crumble appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I love making easy desserts that can be put together in a flash. This peach crumble pretty much is one of them. I think it takes longer to chopped the peaches more than anything.

I never peel fruit when making desserts of this nature. I like to have all the nutrients the fruit has to offer when making crisps, crumbles and pies.

Another great thing about this dessert is that you can use any type fruit of your choice. I also have made it with blueberries, however, I think from now on, every time I make something like this I will for sure use bourbon with it.

You can  serve this maple bourbon peach crumble – Gluten free and vegan with some ice cream for an extra treat. Either way will be good. I just hope you get to make it.

I am going to be making this dessert with other fruit in season. I think the fruit mixture would be a great mixture for a pie as well. I haven’t make pie in for ever so I might try this bourbon thing using apples. I think that would be superb.

Anyways, I hope you get to make this maple bourbon peach crumble – Gluten free and vegan. My husband actually told me not to post the recipe because it was too good to share and should keep it a secret. I just like to share my recipes and let people enjoy them too.

Until my next one,

Enjoy!

Maple bourbon peach crumble - Gluten free and vegan

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs fresh peaches
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 cup rolled oats, gluten free
• 3 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup bourbon, gluten free
• 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped, optional

 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F. In a small mixing bowl place the peaches, arrowroot powder, bourbon and 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Combine. Divide the peaches between the 4 6.5 inch cast iron pans. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients, except pistachios, until you obtain a cohesive mixture. Spread this mixture evenly over the peaches.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top starts to brown. Top with the chopped pistachios. Serve warm or as desired, we did with some extra ice cream.

The post Maple bourbon peach crumble – Gluten free and vegan appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

If you have been following my blog for a while I am sure you know that I try to keep certain foods organic as well as use produce that is in season as much as possible.

I think it becomes even more important if you are an avid cook and like to make sure your meals taste the best they could possibly taste.

When using produce in season not only it tastes better but the amount of chemicals used to grow them is less so potentially this means less pesticides in your plate.

In addition, when using produce and fruits in season the carbon foot print to obtain these products is less since they are coming from local sources rather than cross country or overseas.

There are also certain fruits and vegetables that I always get organic. Getting organic produce supports farmers that are actually growing produce in a more sustainable manner since this way of farming has fewer environmental impacts per acre.

Research has demonstrated that organic fruits and vegetables have smaller amounts of pesticide residue than produce that was grown conventionally and there are certain vegetables and fruits that are more susceptible to this rule. I mean don’t get me wrong, I would love to have all the fruits and vegetables we consume organic but this can get very pricy so I just make sure I stick to the list below and make sure I purchase these products organic.

I have also device a list of seasonable produce so that you can take advantage and find out what to buy each month. This is the list that I go by and quite frankly it is very helpful. I also purchase my produce at the same local stores where I have develop a relationship with store owners since I always question where the produce comes from.

Often times you can read where the produce comes from, as it is label. Many comes from places like Mexico, chile and other South American countries, which in my opinion is way too far. Some come from California and in my case living in NJ, many of it comes from here! A much better option for me.

It is our responsibility to be kinder to the earth. By modifying just a few simple things in your cooking it can make a big impact. Being mindful of our environment it is very important to ensure that humanity can remaing in it for years to come.

TIPS ON HOW TO EAT GREENER

I am an avid advocate of eating organically and eating green by minimizing my carbon foot print so here are some resources.

• Do not waste food, when you waste food, you waste the energy used to grow, transport and cook it. In addition, when food waste is sent to landfills instead of being composted, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

• To reduce gas emissions, buy local and seasonal produce.

• Don’t rely on heavily packaged and processed foods, which take basic foods and add many more steps to it such as processing, refining, packaging, transporting and storing, which all require fossil fuel.

Visit http://www.eatlowcarbon.org to see the carbon footprint of your meal choice and to make direct, immediate comparisons with other foods options!

OTHER RESOURCES

• http://www.sustainabletable.org

• http://www.eatlocalamerica.coop

• http://www.localharvest.org

• http://www.organicconsumers.org

• http://www.foodnews.org

• http://www.safecosmetics.org

• http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com

For these yogurt protein smoothie 3 ways I used fruit that is in season. I used organic strawberries, organic mangoes, meyer lemons and pineapple.

I also used Silk dairy-free yogurt alternative. I use strawberry, mango and pineapple flavors. Because the fruit is naturally sweet and so are the yogurts there is no need to add sweetener to the smoothies.

You can also sign up to receive the Silk newsletters and take advantage of their many coupons. If you use their products you should take advantage of their many coupons they offer.

When making the smoothies I had a little bit leftover from each so I went ahead and froze them as popsicles. A great idea if your kids like them. Healthier and more economical and now that the weather is getting warmer it is the perfect healthy snack.

Well I hope you enjoy these yogurt protein smoothie 3 ways. They are sure perfect for a snack, breakfast or any time of the day.

Enjoy!

Yogurt protein smoothie 3 ways

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 3 smoothies

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 oz organic fresh strawberries
• 3 oz fresh mango
• 3 oz fresh pineapple
• 1 meyer lemon, peeled
• 3 tbs protein powder
• 1 Silk dairy-free strawberry yogurt
• 1 Silk dairy-free mango yogurt
• 1 Silk dairy-free pineapple yogurt

Directions:

For the strawberry smoothie add the strawberries, strawberry yogurt and 1 tablespoon of protein powder to your blender and pulse until the mixture is homogenous. Serve immediately.

For the mango smoothie add the chopped mango, mango yogurt and 1 tablespoon of protein powder to your blender and pulse until the mixture is homogenous. Serve immediately.

For the pineapple smoothie add the chopped pineapple, lemon, pineapple yogurt and 1 tablespoon of protein powder to your blender and pulse until the mixture is homogenous. Serve immediately.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Yogurt protein smoothie 3 ways appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Frozen fruit is great to have in stock. I always make sure I have plenty of it so I can use for frozen popsicles, smoothies and oatmeal. For this blueberry almond oatmeal you can use any other fruit of your choice, however, blueberries work rather well. I really loved the combo of the blueberries and almonds.

For the milk of choice I used Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk but any unsweetened variety would work. This way you can control the amount of sugar that goes in your blueberry almond oatmeal.

In order to obtain some coupons from Silk make sure you visit this link. This way you can save some money while making your oatmeal!!

While I made quite a bit of this blueberry almond oatmeal you can half the amount if you like. I tend to make quite a bit of it because we are a family of four and we have it every day of the week, thus this amount will only last us about 4-5 days.

I also tend to take it as a snack in ball jars. It is very convenient as this works for breakfast or for a snack.

Well I hope you get to make this recipe. You can use regular oats for a quicker version but I wanted to use quick rolled oats this time for a different texture.

Enjoy!

Blueberry almond oatmeal

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 12 servings

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cup quick rolled oats
• 1/3 cup oat bran
• 7 cups Silk unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

 

Directions:

I a large pot add all the ingredients except blueberries and almonds. Cook over medium to low heat stirring occasionally to make sure the oats don't stick to the bottom.

Cook until the oats becomes soft. I cooked mine for about 30 minutes. Once the oats are cooked, fold in the blueberries and almonds with a spatula and serve.

You can keep the mixture covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Blueberry almond oatmeal appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

About a couple of weeks ago I made this other ricotta cake version, this one with apples and blueberries. It was great too but the lemon elevates this cake to a different level. So worth trying this version.

I also added poppy seeds to the batter but you don’t have to if you don’t want to. This cake batter is quite versatile so I think you can even try other flavors if you like. Peaches may work rather well I think!

On another note, I am still in Thailand. I have been here for two weeks already and I have experienced amazing things thus far. The culture, food and topography are of this world…and let’s not forget about the beaches and islands.

Going to culinary school learning authentic Thai cuisine and exploring all the amazing islands of the south has been nothing but breathtaking and amazing. A trip that I will for ever remember.

I am going to be doing a couple of post about this trip because it is too much information to share in just one so stay tuned. I will be posting recipes that you will never be able to learn in the U.S, as many of the authentic Thai cuisine is only taught in the country from local chefs. Priceless cooking lessons to say the least.

Anyhow, I leave you with this amazing recipe that I hope you get to try soon. The minute I get back to the U.S I will be making this one on top of this other Asian cheesecake I had in Tokyo that was to die for. So good…

Enjoy!

Lemon blueberry ricotta cake

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup coconut oil, room temperature
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup blueberries, I used frozen
• 2 tbs poppy seeds
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
• Lemon zest, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8 inch round baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Combine the sugar and coconut oil in a stand mixer. Add the vanilla extract, eggs, ricotta and lemon juice and combine. Add the flour, poppy seeds, lemon zest and baking powder and combine.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and arrange the blueberries over the batter. Bake for 45-55 minutes. I baked mine for 50 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan before serving. I keep my cake in the fridge covered but you can keep it in the kitchen counter for up to 1-2 days.

NOTE: I placed my cake under the broiler for 3 minutes to brown the top a bit more but this is not a necessary step!

The post Lemon blueberry ricotta cake appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I haven’t been making cake recipes for a while now but since Valentine’s day is just around the corner I have been able to make two cakes in the past week. My family like their sweets so I always try to make something healthier for them to have and this was just perfect.

For this blueberry apple ricotta cake I used Truvia Brown Sugar Blend for my diabetic friends. I try to make at least one recipe for them each month so this cake is for them.

I actually used frozen organic blueberries, since I always have frozen berries on hand, but you can use fresh blueberries if you like. I also used apples but you can use pears or even peaches. I think it would be just fine with either one.

I thought to add some unsweetened shredded coconut to the batter since I love coconut so much but I think I will do it the next time I make it.

Well there is not much to say about this super amazing blueberry apple ricotta cake. It is very simple to put together. It may look a little bit elaborate but it isn’t by any means. I promise. If you know how to slice apples you are good to go so give this cake a try.

Enjoy!

Blueberry apple ricotta cake

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup coconut oil, room temperature
• 1/4 cup Truvia brown sugar blend (or 1/2 cup coconut sugar)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup blueberries, I used frozen
• 2 apples, made into slices
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8 inch round baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Combine the sugar and coconut oil in a stand mixer. Add the vanilla extract, eggs, ricotta and milk and combine. Add the flour and baking powder and combine

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and arrange the sliced apples followed by the blueberries. Bake for 40-50 minutes. I baked mine for 45 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan and serve.

NOTE: I placed my cake under the broiler for 3 minutes to brown the top a bit more but this is not a necessary step!

The post Blueberry apple ricotta cake appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.