food sensitivities Archives - Christina Najjar

How to Make Stevia Taste Good in Recipes

October 18, 2016 by Christina Najjar Leave a Comment

Flipping to sugar free nutrition for health issues like PMS, PCOS, and digestive problems, among other issues, can seem impossible. This is especially true for those who have a sweet tooth. While many sugar-free sweeteners are just as bad or worse for you than sugar, stevia is actually a good alternative.

To pick out a good brand, make sure to read the ingredients. Many brands put all kinds of additives in their formula.

The issue with stevia is that for many people, it actually has a bitter or too sweet aftertaste. I really disliked it when I first tried it. Well, it turns out that it’s a bit of an acquired taste!

The other issue is that unlike most sweeteners, stevia doesn’t stand very well on its own. There is work that needs to be done to make it taste better in recipes. Since I’ve played around with the sugar free sweetener for a while, I’ve discovered different ways to make it taste better.

Start with protein powder

Many sugar free protein powders are sweetened with Stevia. These formulas are put together to create a product that is as tasty as possible. Of course, some brands succeed at that better than others do. I really like the Vega Sport Performance chocolate powder. Some of their other products are far too sweet, but this one is amazing. The Genuine Health Fermented Vegan Proteins+ vanilla powder is another good one. It blends really nicely with all kinds of flavours. These powders will help you better adjust to the stevia taste.

Add other tastes

Combining a few of the basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami) actually makes stevia a bajillion times more enjoyable. I haven’t tried combining umami and sweet so I can’t attest to this one, but by including other tastes, stevia tastes so much better.

So how do you do that? If I’m making overnight oats, I add sea salt or pink Himalayan salt (it’s tasty, it contains all kinds of minerals, and I have low blood pressure). For acidity, I add a bit of pure lemon juice because the flavour is subtle. Then, I may add cocoa for bitterness. And finally, the stevia will take care of the sweetness.

Use liquid stevia

Most people who have experimented with stevia agree that using it in its liquid form is the tastiest. So, save yourself the trouble and don’t bother trying the powdered form. I like the NOW brand liquid stevia. It has less of that unpleasant aftertaste than the powdered form does.

Combine it with xylitol

The two sweeteners seem to work really well together. I specifically recommend xylitol because it is also technically sugar free. However, those simply looking to reduce sugar instead of completely eliminating it may find that maple syrup, molasses, or coconut sugar has the same effect.

A word of caution when using xylitol: since it’s an alcohol sugar, our bodies can’t break it down. As a result, eating large quantities of it can create a laxative effect. I also generally don’t recommend it for those who have known digestive issues.

Which other tricks have you discovered to improve the taste of stevia?

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Apple Chicken Breakfast Sausage

March 6, 2013 by Christina Najjar Leave a Comment

I have recently found out that I can’t peacefully digest regular sausage. This quite saddens me, because the Sausage Kitchen in the Byward Market here in Ottawa makes amazing gluten free sausage. I’m thinking the problem might be the high fat content. But hey, no biggie, since I have a healthier alternative anyway.

So, you thought low fat food had to be bland? Think again. I buy extra lean ground chicken sausage and use molasses to stop it from being dry. I like to fry it on the stove top with a bit of oil, but you could make it in a non-stick skillet without oil, or probably in a non-stick pan in the oven.

This recipe is really simple, and yet seems complicated enough to an outsider to be able to make this to impress a carnivore. I find it’s also really nice as leftovers.

Apple Chicken Sausage

Ingredients
1 small package ground chicken, about 1 lb
1/2 apple, chopped finely (Granny Smith works well)
2 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp rosemary leaves
1 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste

Directions
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours, though overnight is preferable.

To form into patties, I suggest using plastic gloves, especially if you have long nails. Because of the molasses, the mixture will be stickier than most ground chicken recipes. Patties of about two inches in diameter seem to be perfect. Alternatively, you can roll them, but keep in mind that it may need to cook longer, which could possibly make them turn out less moist.

Place patties in a lightly oiled skillet. If you don’t want to use oil, make sure your skillet is non-stick. Cook on medium heat for about 7 minutes. Turn the sausage and cook for another 5 minutes. Using a lid makes it cook faster and more uniformly. Makes about 4 servings.

Tofu Scramble (vegan)

March 4, 2013 by Christina Najjar Leave a Comment

I bought a package of silken tofu to try to make a vegan version of cream cheese icing, but after reading online about how awful that was going to taste, I decided to repurpose the silken tofu. I’ve always been a bit curious about tofu scramble, especially since I started liking tofu.

I’ve noticed that many carnivores think vegetarianism is terrible because tofu tastes bad. Ignoring the fact that many vegetarians don’t actually eat tofu, it’s important to understand tofu before deciding it tastes awful. Yes, tofu is tasteless. That’s what makes it beautiful. It’s super versatile! You just have to make sure to add tons of flavour to tofu, and you may just have yourself an amazing meal.

The tofu scramble is made to resemble eggs, but don’t expect it to taste like eggs because it won’t. If you decide to modify the recipe I provide you with, just remember to add a lot of flavour to it.

Tofu Scramble

Ingredients
1 package silken tofu
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 bell pepper, chopped (I used green)
1 tsp turmeric
1-2 tbsp oil for frying
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
Add oil, onion, and garlic to a large frying pan over medium-high heat and toss around for 1 or 2 minutes, until it’s nice and fragrant. Throw in the silken tofu and mash it a bit (not too much) with a fork. Add turmeric, salt, and pepper, and toss around to coat evenly.

You want to make sure the water evaporates so that your scramble isn’t soggy. It took mine about 15 minutes to reach the point that I like, but it’s a matter of tastes. Make sure to toss the scramble around every few minutes to help the water evaporate faster. About five minutes before it’s done to your liking, add in the bell pepper. Makes 2-3 servings.

Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan)

January 29, 2013 by Christina Najjar Leave a Comment

I always buy bananas that I can’t seem to use fast enough. They turn brown on me and then I feel like I can’t eat them. I really hate throwing food away, especially when it feels like I’m throwing nutrients away! Read Well-Being Secret’s post on the health benefits of bananas here. My baking inspiration this time gave me these oatmeal cookies.

If you’re sensitive to oats, I’m terribly sorry. Next time I post some goodies, they’ll be oat free. The good thing about this recipe is that you can add something like cranberries or whatever your favourite cookie garnish is, or you can omit the chocolate chips altogether, and it’ll still be delightful.

WARNING: These cookies are addictive, so once they’ve cooled down, put a few cookies on a plate, and lock the rest away and protect them with an obstacle course.

Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (or vegan sugar alternative)
2 1/4 cups oats (I use Only Oats brand because it’s gluten free)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup oil
2 ripe bananas
1 tbsp water
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
Chocolate chips of your choice to taste (I think I used 1/2 or 3/4 cups)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas and add the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix well. Because bananas vary in size, you may need to add a bit of oil to properly blend the ingredients. Add the chocolate chips.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls (or more) on a greased cookie sheet. If you use stoneware, you don’t need to grease it. Flatten the dough a bit with the back of the spoon.. Make sure to leave a bit of space between the cookies. They’ll expand a bit, but not as much as regular cookies. Bake for about 14 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown.