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Aquafaba Pavlova

7/26/2017

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Aquafaba seems to be all the hype lately. And, I must admit, there is something quite curious about making delicious desserts out of left over chickpea liquid. The more I have learned about aquafaba, the more curious I have become to experiment with it myself.

A few years back I read a book which took place in Australia. They kept talking about a dessert called pavlova. I’m usually pretty solid with food trivia, but pavlova was a new one for me. Apparently this dessert was named after Russia ballerina Anna Pavlova. It is a light meringue with a crispy crust, typically topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit or berries.  This dessert dish is common in the summer time and is popular for a Christmas treat.

In my continuing effort to give popular dishes a healthy makeover, pavlova seemed like the perfect option for my first aquafaba experiment. It took a few attempts, but I managed to make my version with coconut sugar instead of white sugar, so not only is this vegan, but it is also lower in sugar and refined sugar free. I topped the pavlova with coconut whipped cream so anyone who may be vegan or have a dairy allergy would be able to enjoy it. Weather can play a factor in getting the texture just right, but on this hot and humid summer day, I found delicious success and hope you do as well.

Aquafaba Pavlova:
(makes about 6 individual servings)
A few notes before you begin:
  • To make aquafaba simply save the liquid drained from either canned or homemade chickpeas. I like to run mine through a strainer before using.
  • Traditional pavlova calls for icing sugar or fine grain sugar. Since I wanted to use coconut sugar, I ran my pre-measured sugar through my vitamix, to make it as fine as possible.
  • Use pure vanilla extract only, so it is alcohol base instead of oil base.
  • Be sure your bowl and mixer attachment is very clean and dry before you begin.
  • Prep and measure everything in advance so you can work quickly.
  • Prepare your baking sheet in advance. I traced a cup onto my parchment paper 6 times, then flipped it over, to make a template to work on.
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup aquafaba, chilled
  • ¾ cup coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Prepare:
  1. Preheat oven to 225°.
  2. Pour aquafaba into mixing bowl. Mix on low for 1 minute (I used a Kitchenaid stand mixer but you could also use a hand held mixer).
  3. After 1 minute turn the speed to medium high. When medium peaks form (this happened after about 2 minutes for me) add the lemon juice.
  4.  Turn speed to high. When stiff peaks start to form turn back to medium high and add sugar with vanilla extract mixed in, 1 tablespoon at a time. You do not want to rush this step. Wait about 30 seconds between adding tablespoons.
  5. Turn speed back to high and mix for about 1 minute more to ensure sugar is combined and dissolved.
  6. Work quickly to get mixture onto the prepared pan. You can spoon it on or pipe it onto your template.
  7. Place pan in oven and reduce the heat to 200° degrees.
  8. Bake for 2 hours. Do not open door and try to avoid big movements (stomping, running, slamming doors, etc.) that may cause pavlova to fall. After 2 hours, turn oven off leaving pavlova inside for another hour.
  9. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Once cool, gently remove from parchment paper and place on serving plate.
  10. Very gently top with coconut whipped cream (homemade or store bought) and fresh fruit. These do not hold up for long and will get soggy if made in advance. Wait until the last minute to top before serving.
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Peach Crumble

7/4/2017

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The arrival of peach season is a sure sign of summer in the south. Growing up, my mom and aunt made an annual trip to the state's farmer's market. They would return with the most beautiful produce, which they would freeze so we would have delicious fruits and veggies year round. Among their bounty would always be sweet, Georgia peaches. There were few things better than going to our deep freezer in the middle of winter and getting out a bag of those prized peaches. Sometimes I would eat them straight from the bag, once they thawed. Better than that though, was when my mom would make her amazing peach cobbler. I'm not sure what kind of magic she put in there, but there is no other peach cobbler that can even come close to what she made.

Inspired by her creation, but not draing to attempt to recreate her masterpiece, I've come up with a peach crumble that shares the essence of her cobbler. This crumble is vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar free, so most everyone can enjoy.

Peach Crumble
Filling:
About 8 medium/large  ripe peaches (peeled and sliced thin)
A squeeze of a lemon (about 1 Tablespoon)
¼-1/2 cup coconut sugar (I used 1/4 because my peaches were quite sweet.)
1.5 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 
Topping:
1 cup gluten-free quick cooking oats (you can also use rolled oats)
½ cup almond meal
½ cup coconut oil (melted)
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
¼ cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Add sliced peaches to a large mixing bowl. Toss in remaining filling ingredients and gently stir until well combined. Set aside. In another mixing bowl, add all ingredients for the topping. Stir together with a fork until the oil is evenly mixed in with the dry ingredients. Set aside. Pour peaches into a baking dish or pie plate. Using your hands, evenly spread topping over the peaches. Bake 30-45 minutes, until the top is brown and the filling is bubbly. Remove from oven and let rest for about 20 minutes before digging in. Try serving with your favorite coconut whipped cream or vegan ice cream. 


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