Homemade Gianduia

Gianduia (also spelled gianduja) is a chocolate-hazelnut spread. You may have heard of an Italian product called Nutella. Well, Nutella is actually the brand-name for a type of gianduia.

If you have tasted Nutella, you are probably aware that it is awesome. Well, for those of you who have dairy and refined sugar restrictions, you definitely will not be able to enjoy the Ferrero version of the spread.

However, what if I told you that you could make your own dairy-free and sugar-free gianduia, in a matter of minutes?

Please note that the no measurements are required for this recipe.

You can work with a double boiler, in order to not scorch the ingredients, but feel free to work directly on the stove top if you feel that your skills are advanced enough. Note, chocolate can and will burn easily if you don't know what you're doing.

Begin with melting a desired amount of unsweetened Baker's chocolate.

Once melted, add carob powder to sweeten.

(Carob powder is derived from the fruit of the carob tree. It is also known as St. John's-bread or locust bean. Carob powder is used as a substitute for cocoa powder and can be found quite easily in bulk food stores. Simply put, carob powder is very similar to cocoa powder, except that it does not contain any stimulants, like caffeine. Additionally, it contains some carbohydrates, making it naturally sweet. To me, it tastes a bit like "caramel meets maple syrup".)

Add enough carob powder to meet your desired level of sweetness.

Your mixture may become clumpy at this time.

To the mixture, add enough hazelnut butter to equal approximately 1/3 of the amount of melted chocolate and carob.

(Gianduia normally consists of approximately 30% hazelnut paste. I use hazelnut butter, because in Canada, hazelnut butter can be found easily in major grocery stores.)

The natural oils in the hazelnut butter should smooth out the clumps and bring the mixture to the consistency of a spread. If the mixture has not loosened up enough, feel free to add either some olive oil or coconut oil in order to get it to the desired consistency.

At this point, your dairy-free, refined sugar-free gianduia will be ready to enjoy.

Fig Syrup

If you're trying to stay away from refined sugars or artificial sweeteners, you have a number of options, of natural food ingredients, that can be used in their place. One of your options could be to use fig syrup, a.k.a. miele di fichi or fig honey.

Personally speaking, fig syrup tended not to aggravate my intestinal flare-ups. It may also be a good option for you if "fiber is not your friend".

In Canada, this product is basically impossible to purchase. So, you'll have to make it yourself. Don't worry. It's actually quite simple. Click here for my recipe.

Banana "Ice Cream"

People love ice cream. I don't care if you can digest dairy or not. It's delicious. However, for those who cannot consume dairy or refined sugars, it can be quite difficult to satisfy an ice cream craving.

Making banana ice cream is actually quite simple, as it requires only one ingredient. Bananas. That's all.

Take sliced pieces of a frozen banana and blend until smooth. It's as simple as that. The texture of the banana will become smooth and creamy, just like real ice cream.

Personally, I like to add a few other ingredients to impart some awesome flavour. Try adding a dollop of all-natural peanut butter and some crumbled baker's chocolate (unsweetened) to the mix, before blending. It's delicious.

As a word of warning, you will want to consume this "ice cream" immediately. It does not freeze or keep well after it is made. However, with a frozen dessert made this quickly and easily (and being tasty to boot), you won't have any leftovers to keep.

Pressure Cooker Love

Pressure cookers tend to be known as nostalgic cookware. However, in the days of trying to make meals with limited preparation time, this gadget is a must have.

I know that people tend to use slow cookers in order to prepare meals in advance. This process often involves some piece of meat that is slow cooked, over a number of hours, so that it is tender and delicious.

In contrast, pressure cookers cook meat (and other foods) extremely quickly to a tender state. The ingredients are cooked in a pressurized environment, so that rapid cooking can be achieved. The beauty of cooking using a pressure cooker is that it allows for all of the ingredients to be placed in one pot, with a minimal amount of liquid required.

Here is a an example of chicken, prepared in the pressure cooker, for 25 minutes, from frozen.

Here is another example of stewing beef, cooked in a pressure cooker, for approximately 30 minutes.

Below is example of shredded beef prepared by using a pressure cooker.

Try finding a pressure cooker to add to your collection of cookware. I'm sure you'll find plenty of uses for it in your daily lives. It's not just for grandmothers.

Green Tomato Curry

Raw fruit and veg, generally, tend to be very difficult to digest. An easy solution, to help with digestion, is to cook the vegetables. To further aid in the process, currying the vegetables can provide digestive support.

Green tomatoes might just be one of my favourite kitchen ingredients. That being said, green tomato curry might also be one of my most favourite curries to make.

Green tomatoes cook very easily and quickly. So, you can add it to any curry base.

The recipe for my quick curry base can be found by clicking here. Just substitute the okra and carrots for some chopped green tomatoes. You can also reduce the cooking (simmering) time to approximately 10 minutes.

Aloe Relief

Digestive ups and downs can lead to painful burning sensations to one's gastro-intestinal system. To find relief, often times I would rely on a product called Aloe Vera Gel (inner fillet) by Lily of the Desert.

Unlike commercially produced aloe drinks, this gel has no other ingredients other than the aloe vera gel itself. So, it has no added sugars. This is good to know, as refined sugars, in my opinion, tend to have inflammatory properties (not good when you're trying to reduce inflammation).

Think of this aloe gel like the kind you would use on your external body after a burn. The same type of cooling sensation and healing can be experienced internally.

The dosage I would use was 1-3 oz in a glass of water. I would drink up twice per day, on an empty stomach, until my symptoms subsided

You can find this product in local health food stores.

Chicory Coffee

Sadly, constipation can be another major issue with those who suffer with digestive issues. I have found that a combination of coffee and chicory can provide relief in a natural way.

Traditionally, the two ingredients were mixed together as a cost saving measure, as chicory was a commonly found plant root versus the expensive coffee bean.

If you can find it, Café Du Monde is an awesome product, not to mention that it's great-tasting. It comes all the way from New Orleans. However, if you live in Toronto, here's a tip...You can find it easily in Vietnamese tuck shops.

Alternatively, if you're an instant coffee drinker, BRU Instant is for you. It's a product from India, but it can be easily found in Asian markets throughout Toronto.

Pomegranate Peel Tea

People with digestive issues often suffer from chronic or intermittent diarrhea.

Instead of loading up on pharmaceutical drugs, try drinking a tea made by steeping the peel of a pomegranate in hot water.

This infusion can be used to ease diarrhea.

Date Paste

Soaking dates over night in water and blending with a little lemon or lime juice will leave you with a wonderful tasting date paste. This paste can be used as a natural sweetener, perfect for those wanting to avoid processed sugars.