Archive for the category 'essentials'
Dagoba Chocodrops
Have you heard? Chocolate is good for you! Dagoba Chocodrops
These chocodrops have a high cacao content (73%) and are quite flavorful with just a hint of sweetness.
Dagoba organic chocodrops are small (dime sized) discs. Use them in your favorite cookie recipe or have a handful with nuts as a quick pick-me-up, afternoon snack. Delicious!
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Subscribe by Email to elanaspantry.com:Posted on March 15, 2007 in essentials and products by Elana
you might also like: Fiordifrutta
or Dogs In a Garden
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Agave Nectar
Sweetness is the first taste we experience in life, the primal taste of our infancy, of mother’s milk.
For several years I researched delicious, healthy alternatives to sugar that held up well in the baking process, yet did not substantially raise glycemic index levels. Enter agave, the nectar of the agave cactus plant –a golden liquid readily available in health food stores.
I prefer agave because as you can see below, it is lower on the glycemic index (GI) than other sweeteners:
sugar (95)
honey (77)
maple syrup (54)
agave (26-40)
Agave also has a very neutral flavor, unlike honey and other natural sweeteners.
There is a range of purity in the available agave nectars on the market. Most people agree that the finest, purest agave is manufactured in Jalisco, Mexico. Agave from this region is renown to have no added fillers or sweeteners.
Volcanic brand agave is from Jalisco. This brand is touted by the Oprah doctor, Mehmet Oz. According to the manufacturer, Volcanic blue agave has a (GI) of 26. Volcanic is pricey, about two to three times more expensive than other brands. To purchase Volcanic blue agave, click on the image to the right. Or…
Madhava is a more readily available, less costly brand of agave. You can find it at most health food stores. When I contacted Madhava’s manufacturer/distributor (Nekutli/Colibree), they were very helpful and forthcoming, responding to all of my questions immediately. According to Nekutli, the glycemic index of Madhava agave is under 40; this is still well below the GI of sugar. To purchase madhava agave nectar, click on the bottle to right.
In all of my recipes, I use “light” agave nectar, as opposed to amber or dark, as light has a more neutral flavor than the other options, and most closely resembles sugar in taste when added to baked goods.
Posted on February 27, 2007 in essentials and products by Elana
you might also like: Stevia
or Almond Flour
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Almond Flour
Why almond flour? I am asked this question at least once a day. Almond flour is highly nutritious, easy to use and readily available. For those of us watching our glycemic index, almond flour is high in protein and low in sugars.
Unlike other alternatives to wheat flour, almond flour is moist and delicious. After having tested just about every gluten-free flour out there, I can save you a lot of time and hassle when I say that almond flour is far superior to other flours in terms of taste, nutrition and ease-of-use.
In all of my recipes I use blanched almond flour. They will not work with unblanched, in fact, they will be miserable failures, so I do not recommend even trying unblanched.
I avoid purchasing almond flour retail at all costs! It is more than $15 per pound in the grocery store. If you purchase it online it is generally less than half of that including shipping. Yes, still expensive, but packed with protein and flavor, so for me, worth the cost.
NOTE: One example of almond flour you will find in retail stores is Bob’s Red Mill. This product yields poor, runny results when used in my recipes; compared to other almond flours it has a very coarse texture. I do not recommend using Bob’s Red Mill almond flour in my recipes.
I store my almond flour in gallon or half-gallon glass mason jars
Posted on February 20, 2007 in essentials and products by Elana
you might also like: Coconut Flour
or Agave Nectar
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