The Fat Flush Cookbook (23 page)

Naturally, the best desserts of all are those that Mother Nature provides.

However, you will be impressed that the treats in this section make it so easy to get the sugar out and still satisfy anybody's sweet tooth on Fat Flush. Whether as a dessert or a snack, you will be pleasantly surprised at how satisfying these naturally sweetened recipes really are. Cinnamon is used frequently in these easy desserts, because it helps to regulate blood sugar levels. Many of the desserts, like Cinnamony Apple Sauce and the Fat Flush Cheesecake, use the sweetener Stevia Plus, made from the herb stevia from South America. As many of you already know from
The Fat Flush Plan,
stevia does not raise blood sugar or create yeast problems.

For special occasions or for a healthful dessert option for the family, you will find that some recipes in this section do use minimal amounts of more traditional sweeteners. For instance, unsweetened fruit juices are used in the Blueberry Pecan, Strawberry Almond, and Tropical Paradise Jells, date sugar in the Apple Crisp, and honey in the Lemony Almond Cookies. The fruity jells and other treats are great healthy desserts for the kids anytime and for you too when you feel like having a comfort food. (Just keep in mind that if you are strictly following the Fat Flushing Food Combination Rules from
The Fat Flush Plan,
you will want to separate your main meal from your dessert by at least an hour to optimize digestion.)

What you won't see in this section are any desserts made with fructose—a sweetener that is ranked the lowest on the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a listing of foods that shows the rate at which a carbohydrate breaks down as sugar or glucose into the bloodstream. Although fructose lends itself well to desserts and a little goes a long way (it is one and a half times sweeter than ordinary sugar or sucrose), fructose has many health drawbacks. It can increase artery clogging LDL-cholesterol levels, raise uric acid levels in the blood, and raise triglyceride levels more than any other type of sugar. The fructose that naturally occurs in fruits, however, is combined with both fiber and minerals which balance out fructose's negative health effects when it is consumed only as an isolated sweetener.

Before we begin, please keep in mind that many of the desserts herein contain meringue (stiffly beaten egg whites) so following are just a few pointers from the get go to get you in the meringue mood. These pointers will greatly help you to get the meringues to hold their shape:

• When the recipe calls for egg whites, you will be making meringues out of them.

• Take the eggs out of the fridge at least ½ hour before you start. Egg whites at room temperature produce a fluffier and faster whip than do cold eggs whites.

• The best kinds of bowls to use for making meringues are glass or metal.

• The frothiness or volume of the meringue may be reduced if the bowls are not clean, so take a damp cloth with a bit of apple cider vinegar and wipe them thoroughly to cut any residue.

• You will know when the meringues are ready when the egg whites become shiny and do not slip and slide in your bowl.

• To test if your meringues are at their peak (no pun intended), try turning the bowl upside down. If the meringues cling to the bowl, they are ready for prime time.

• Cream of tartar is a marvelous meringue stabilizer and is good for you, too. Cream of tartar is made from grapes, is a decent source of potassium, and, according, to folk medicine, is a natural blood cleanser. This ingredient fits the Fat Flush criteria, now doesn't it?

• Make sure you watch the meringues carefully because they can burn easily. Go for a lightly golden color.

• Do keep in mind that meringues made without sugar are not as crispy as those made with sugar—the Fat Flush–style meringues will not have the same texture as those made with sugar.

RECIPES

Cinnamony Applesauce

Saucy Rhubarb

Baked Cranberry Apples

Tofruity Freeze

Pomegranate Ice

Cranberry Mousse

Blueberry Mousse

Vanilla Fat Flush Ice Cream

Strawberry Fat Flush Ice Cream

Chocolate Fat Flush Ice Cream

Spiced Vanilla Peaches

Peachy Keen Sorbet

Razzle Dazzle Sorbet

Grape Sorbet

Berry Yogurt Freezes

Strawberry-Banana Freeze

Fat Flush Cheesecake

Crustless Custard-Pumpkin Pie

Blueberry Pecan Jell

Strawberry Almond Jell

Black Cherry Walnut Jell

Apple Cranberry Sunflower Jell

Tropical Paradise Jell

Frozen Berry Mousse

Cherry Soufflé

Apple Crisp

Lemony Almond Cookies

Almond Oats Macaroons

Parsnip Dream

My Mother's Meringue Kisses

Surprise Sorbet

This aromatic applesauce recipe lends itself to many varieties of apples such as the ones listed below. You may also use Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Pippin, or Wine-sap. I like Cinnamony Applesauce after one of the poultry entrées, especially Dijon Turkey Cutlets (
page 105
) or Crispy Nonfried Chicken (
page 107
).

1 apple (Rome Beauty, Granny Smith, or McIntosh), peeled, cored, and sliced

¼ teaspoon Stevia Plus or to taste (optional)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300°F. Arrange apple slices in a small baking dish. Sprinkle with Stevia Plus and cinnamon and cover. Bake for 15 minutes. Mash when cooked and serve hot or cold.

Variations
:

• For a change of pace, substitute cherries (omit the cinnamon), berries, or a peach for the apple.

• Try a touch (just a touch) of cloves.

•
For phase 3:
Add a drop of vanilla extract and a dash of allspice and nutmeg.

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Whether warmed or slightly chilled, cooked rhubarb with a bit of Stevia Plus is a nice alternative to applesauce. One cup of this unique fruit has more calcium (350 mg) than a cup of milk. This recipe goes well with Zucchini and Beef Delight (
page 116
).

1 pound rhubarb, chopped

1 tablespoon purified water

4 teaspoons Stevia Plus

½ teaspoon cinnamon

In a medium saucepan, cook rhubarb in water over low to medium heat 12–15 minutes. Mash and blend in Stevia Plus and cinnamon.

Variations
:

• Add a cup or two of strawberries or the seeds of ½ of a small pomegranate, which seems to go so well with rhubarb.

•
For phase 3:
Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds to add some crunch and omega-3 power.

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Here's your basic baked apple recipe with some uniquely Fat Flush–friendly fillings.

4 medium apples (Rome Beauty, McIntosh, Golden Delicious), cored and pared

½ cup cranberries, fresh or frozen (thawed)

1 teaspoon Stevia Plus

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3–4 tablespoons purified water

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, blend cranberries, Stevia Plus, and cinnamon. Stuff apples with cranberry mixture. Place in shallow baking dish, add water in the baking dish with the fruit and cover. Baste fruit with liquid during cooking and bake for about 30–40 minutes.

Variations
:

• Chopped walnuts or pecans, grated lemon or orange zest, nutmeg, cloves, or allspice are tasty phase 3 variations as well.

•
For Special Occasion:
Top with a tablespoon of homemade whipped cream.

•
For phase 3–Special Occasion:
you can transform this recipe into Baked Cranberry Raisin Apples by adding 1 tablespoon of raisins to each apple and a dash of nutmeg, too.

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This is a surefire way to get used to the taste of soy for those twice-a-week soy fests (you remember, of course, from
The Fat Flush Plan
that soy is recommended twice a week.) The good thing about this dessert is that the soy-based tofu provides you with some protein, natural fats, and natural phytohormones, which is why Tofruity Freeze makes a good snack.

1 10.5-ounce package silken tofu

2 cups berries, fresh or unsweetened frozen

Put tofu in the blender and blend until it attains a puddinglike consistency. Add fruit and continue to blend until smooth. Pour into freezer containers or ice-cube trays. Freeze for several hours until lightly firm.

Variations
:

• You may substitute the right amount of cherries for the berries and add a touch of Stevia Plus if the fruit is not sweet enough.

•
For phase 3:
Top with toasted sunflower seeds and/or 1 tablespoon of unsweetened coconut.

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Did you know that the very first sherbet on record was made with snow and pomegranate juice? If you have been good and do not have blood sugar peaks and valleys, there is no reason why you shouldn't treat yourself to this puréed fruit dessert. Just remember that puréeing breaks down the fiber in fruits, which can have a fluctuating effect on blood sugar by concentrating the sugars. If this makes you hungry, you can always pop in 1 package of silken tofu to provide some blood sugar–stabilizing protein and fat.

Seeds of ½ or 1 small pomegranate

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼–½ teaspoon Stevia Plus (optional, to taste if fruit is not sweet enough)

To remove the seeds from pomegranate, cut the rind into quarters and pull apart in a bowl of water, removing seeds from membrane. Remove the membrane and the rind with a slotted spoon. Place strainer in large bowl and pour into strainer to drain and recover seeds. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Freeze until firm, about 3–4 hours.

Variation
:

A blend of 1 cup raspberries and strawberries can replace the pomegranate.

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This is so easy to make and quite lovely as a tangy refreshment to complete a cozy brunch or dinner.

2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (thawed)

1½ cups purified water

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons Stevia Plus (more or less to taste)

2 egg whites, stiffly beaten, with pinch of cream of tartar

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries and water and cook until soft. Strain and discard skins. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and Stevia Plus to strained cranberries. Pour into freezer containers or ice-cube trays. Freeze about 3–4 hours until frozen. When frozen, remove from freezer, beat until mixture is softened. Fold in egg whites. Pour into freezer containers or ice cube trays. Return to freezer and freeze until ready to serve.

Variations
:

• Replace one or both cups of the cranberries with pomegranate seeds.

•
For phase 3:
sprinkle with slivered almonds and 1 tablespoon of unsweetened coconut.

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You really can enjoy some treats on phases 1 and 2. This Blueberry Mousse proves it.

1 cup blueberries

1 teaspoon Stevia Plus (or to taste)

1 egg white

Pinch of cream of tartar

Place blueberries and Stevia Plus in blender and purée until smooth. Beat egg white with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Fold egg white into blueberry mixture. Pour into freezer containers or ice-cube trays and freeze until firm.

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You won't believe this until you try it. For those of you who have that ice cream urge, here's a healthy way to satisfy the urge without all that sugar. Whey protein powders sweetened with stevia actually become sweeter when frozen—and they come in many different legal Fat Flush flavors. That's the secret in this quick and easy rendition.

1 scoop vanilla-flavored whey-based protein powder

¼ cup cold purified water

In a small bowl, blend whey powder and water. Pour into a freezer container and freeze until ready to serve.

Variation
:

Top with a sprinkling of toasted ground or milled flaxseeds.

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This is so easy, it's a sin.

1 scoop strawberry-flavored whey-based protein powder

¼ cup cold purified water

In a small bowl, blend whey powder and water. Pour into a freezer container and freeze until ready to serve.

Variation
:

Top with a sprinkling of toasted ground or milled flaxseeds.

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