Recipe Category Archives: 30 Minutes or Less

Apricot Fig Compote Recipe

adapted from Levana Cooks, using Mixed Berry Levana Nourishments

apricot fig compote

 

My apricot fig compote is loaded with natural sweetness:

You don’t need any other sweetener than the sweetness of the fruit.

The Earl Grey tea is very easy to find and imparts its distinctive bergamot flavor.

This apricot fig compote is as versatile as it is delicious:

Eat it as is for dessert; top it with a little yogurt and granola for breakfast or a light lunch; stir in a bit of the cooking liquids from whatever meat or turkey roast you are cooking, and you’ve got yourself a fantastic meat fruit sauce; add about half a cup of sugar to the preparation at the beginning of cooking, and you’ve got yourself a fabulous jam (unless you would welcome, as I do, and all-fruit jam, in which case make the dish with just six cups water and no sugar).

You might decide to leave the compote broth-y and unblended; in this case, soak the dried fruit in the water a few minutes to soften it, so you can dice it easily, then proceed with the recipe exactly as instructed, using the soaking water as your cooking water, and skipping the final blending step.

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Energy Bars Recipe. All Variations

adapted from Levana Cooks, using Cocoa Coffee Levana Nourishments

energy bars

Energy bars are all the rage.

But have you ever taken the time to read their ingredient list in most commercial brands?

I am sorry to say they are not the healthy snacks they are cracked up to be. By contrast, just look at this lineup of  ingredients: Why even bother shopping for snacks, if ten minutes of work will get you dozens of these scrumptious energy bars? Each one is like having a meal: You just can’t miss! When I am on the road, they are my best friends. They keep very well, in a tin or in the freezer, no need to wipe them all out, so behave please!

These energy bars are a real nutritional powerhouse!

You will find several variations below, including a super simple one I make all the time and love, with just dates, toasted nuts and orange flower.

Want to skip the food processing? Use pure date paste!

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Berry Kanten Recipe. All variations

adapted from Levana Cooks, using Mixed Berry Levana Nourishments

berry kanten

Kanten Recipe: Consider it the Jell-O of champions!

Kuzu (also spelled Kudzu) is the starch of the kuzu plant: it is a wonderful thickener and is easy to get in health food stores. Kanten, the dessert made with kuzu, is quick and delicious, and does wonders for upset stomachs. You can eat it warm too. If you wanted a real quick kanten, make this dessert without berries, using just the kuzu and the juice of your choice.

You can make it with any fruit of your choice:

Don’t hesitate to use Frozen fruit here. Not just berries, but lychees, pineapple, mango, cherries, rhubarb, anything that looks good on shopping day.

We grew up with tapioca as a thickener, and I would still use it as the next best thing for this and many other desserts that call for a thickener.

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Tropical Fruit Cake Recipe

adapted from Levana Cooks, using Mixed Berry Levana Nourishments

tropical fruit cake

Fruit Cake: Huh? Who will take me seriously?

I often notice that just saying fruit cake is enough to make people crack up. Watch what happens next time you say it: they will roll their eyes and make circular motions with their index finger right near their temple. Add to this that the ingredient list does sound somewhat whacky, so the appearances might stack against me without even trying.

Except, wait till you taste my fruit cake: It’s pretty amazing!

Sometimes I take my playing with food a drop further than even I myself dare, tinkering endlessly, as with this fruit cake, picking my family and friends as willing victims. But the unanimous verdict (fabulous!) made this a staple in my house year round.

This fruit cake will not be passed around like the holiday classic does every year: this one is for keeps! Citrus lovers, you’ll be in heaven. The fruit is grind in its entirety, pulp, skin and oil. And with the added ginger, It’s the best!

If you decide to make muffins.

It will be great too, but reduce the cooking time by about half.

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Indian Corn Amaranth Pudding Recipe

adapted from Levana Cooks, using Vanilla Bean Levana Nourishments

amaranth pudding

Corn amaranth pudding:

Overlaid with my favorite Indian flavors, it is another perfect example of great results with plebeian ingredients, and a snap to make.

This spicy and funky dessert takes comfort foods to a whole new level.

Gluten-free without even trying.

Ghee, cardamom and ginger all add delicious Indian layers of flavor.  Ghee (clarified butter) is easy to find in health food stores. Can’t have dairy? Use coconut oil, or olive oil

Combining Corn and Amaranth just gives you another opportunity to explore with the wonderful gamut of gluten-free whole grains, but if you decide to make it an all-corn pudding or an all amaranth pudding, simply use all amaranth or all corn meal.

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