Chocolate Avocado Mousse

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This dessert is rich, satisfying and celebratory but yet light and airy after a big holiday meal. Avocado replaces (some of the) whipped cream providing much healthier fat and even a serving of veggies for dessert! It can also be made up to a day ahead to give you time to focus on cooking your main meal.

Serves 4

½ cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate

4 ripe avocados

1/3 cup maple syrup

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

Fresh fruit, like raspberries, and perhaps a dollop of whipped cream if desired for garnish.

Place the chocolate in a double boiler (or use a small bowl placed over a saucepan of boiling water). Heat gently, stirring frequently until melted and smooth then set aside.

In a food processor, place the pitted and peeled avocados, maple syrup, cocoa, vanilla, salt and the melted chocolate. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

Divide into 4 glasses or small bowls and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Garnish with fruit and whipped cream if desired.

By Nicole Fetterly, RD

Agua Fresca

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A cold drink on a hot day is so refreshing, but they can often be filled with added sugar. Agua Fresca is a beverage commonly consumed in Mexico and is as simple as blending fruit with water and lime juice. Although some recipes add sweetener, the type of fruit you choose can prevent the need for it. It’s also great to help your family acquire an enjoyment for less sweet drinks. Beautiful colour can be achieved with hibiscus leaves, used in Mexico to make Agua Jamaica, a bright, naturally pink, drink.

Serves 4

2 cups fruit (e.g. pineapple, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, cucumber/mint)

2 cups water (may need much less with watermelon)

1 lime juiced

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Serve immediately over ice.

Recipe by Nicole Fetterly, RD

The Best Dessert!

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Want a fresh, summery dessert you can feel good about putting on the table every day and even eat it alongside your meal? Well wait no longer, it is local fruit season!! Here’s a list of local fruit we grow in British Columbia and ways to dish it up in fun new ways. Of course, a platter of different coloured fruit arranged beautifully is always an easy option too and fun for kids to help prepare.

  • Strawberries—slice or quarter and serve with mint granita (shaved ice you can make in the food processor) or make a classic strawberry/spinach/pecan salad 
  • Watermelon—cube it and freeze for a refreshing dessert or snack or serve it as a salad with fresh basil and crumbled feta.
  • Peaches and plums—halve, remove pits and sprinkle with chopped nuts and seeds. Broil for 3 minutes then serve with Greek yogurt.
  • Cantaloupe or honeydew melon—pair well with savoury foods like cheese or prosciutto or can be pureed into a chilled soup. 
  • Raspberries—serve over an avocado chocolate mousse or by eat by the handful!
  • Grapes—great for kabobs with melon or cheese chunks or freeze to simply pop in your mouth or puree into a slushy.
  • Blueberries—make a healthier crumble with whole grain & nut topping and remember to stock up to freeze for smoothies all year round.
  • Nectarines—make a delicious salsa with fresh local tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime, salt and jalapeno to serve with tacos or whole grain bruschetta.

Recipe by Nicole Fetterly, RD

Whole Grain Banana Bread

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When bananas get a little brown to eat out of the peel, simply pop them in the freezer to save for making banana bread (or smoothies!). You can freeze them in the peel or peeled in a freezer bag. By using whole grains, healthy fats and less sugar, banana bread is a treat you can feel good about eating regularly, for breakfast, snack or dessert. Consider doubling this recipe, but cook as two separate loaves. You can save one in the freezer or share it with a friend!

Yield: 1 loaf

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup maple syrup or brown sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup plain yogurt

1 cup mashed ripe banana

¼ cup flaxseeds (whole or ground)

½ cup rolled oats

1 cup whole grain flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Whisk olive oil and syrup or sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and whisk well. Stir in the yogurt and mashed banana. In a blender, grind flaxseeds and oats into a flour. Add flour, soda, powder and salt and blend for a few seconds. Pour this mixture into the egg and banana bowl and stir until just combined. 

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan then bake for approximately 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan and cooling completely. Slice and serve or freeze whole.

Recipe by Nicole Fetterly, RD

Feel the Beet!

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It’s Valentine’s Day and you want to show your love without focusing on candy and chocolates. What’s the answer? Beet it! One of the most colourful vegetables in the world, the pink hue of beets can bring the Valentine’s spirit to any meal. Here are a few ideas to try:

Breakfast:

  • Pretty in Pink Smoothie: add one or two peeled beets to a smoothie made with raspberries or strawberries and yogurt, kefir or milk. Hemp hearts can add extra protein, fibre and healthy fats.
  • Pink Pancakes: peel and grate a beet and add to the batter of your favourite whole grain or potato pancakes.

Lunch: 

  • Love Soup: make borscht, a traditional Russian beet soup. Add other veggies like potato and carrot to mellow the flavour for those new to beets and consider pureeing it for a smooth texture. Serve topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt and fresh dill.
  • Beet Hummus: add roasted beets to your favourite hummus recipe (or save time and use store-bought). Serve with veggies for dipping and whole grain pita or crackers.

Dinner: 

  • Valentine’s Mash: add a peeled, chopped beet to your potatoes as you cook them and watch the magic of them turning pink! Serve with beautifully pink wild salmon and pickled red onions.
  • Beet Bowls: add grated beet to your favourite grain bowl, along with other cooked and/or raw veggies and plant-based protein like smoked or baked tofu, tempeh, edamame, nuts or seeds.

Dessert:

  • Okay, maybe we do need a little sweet treat on Valentines! Healthify it with whole grains and beets in mini Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes. Colour the cream cheese frosting with beet juice made by grating and squeezing beets rather than artificial food colouring.

Recipe by Nicole Fetterly, RD

Peanut Butter Bites

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Abandon the feelings of guilt most of us experience when we have a treat! If we consume them in moderation and fill our plates with foods recommended by Canada’s Food Guide most of the time, then they are absolutely part of a healthy diet.

These easy treats can be made in minutes with only a microwave and refrigerator. They definitely hit the spot when you’re craving something sweet but some of the added nutrients like fibre and healthy fats help to balance the sugar, making them healthier than your average dessert.

Makes 12 bites

Ingredients:

1 cup natural peanut butter

1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

1 cup granola (or a mixture of toasted nuts, seeds and oats)

Instructions:

  1. In a microwave-safe bowl, slowly melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter. If the peanut butter wasn’t refrigerated, you can just use it from room temperature. When microwaving chocolate, the trick is to go slow and stir often to prevent it burning. You can also do this in a double-boiler on the stove.
  2. Once the chocolate and peanut butter are soft enough, stir together until smooth then add the granola and mix well.
  3. Lay out a sheet of parchment or wax paper on a tray or container that can fit in your refrigerator. Take large spoonfuls of the mixture and dollop onto the papered tray, pressing them slightly to make sure there aren’t holes. Refrigerate until hardened, approximately 1 hour. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

Recipe by Max Crowley (age 7) and his mom, Nicole Fetterly, RD