Scottish Toffee Pudding Cake

Scottish Toffee Pudding Cake

1C pitted dates

1 C water

1 tsp baking soda

Combine above ingredients in your blender jar and blend until smooth, then extra 90 seconds (or use Hot Soup setting on your Blendtec).  Then add to jar:

1/4 C butter (1/2 stick)

3/4 C sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

Blend until creamy and lastly add:

3/4 C flour

 and blend just until mixed.  It should be thin like batter.

Pour into a greased 11x7 pan and bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes.

When it's done, set the cake to cool for a few minutes while you make the toffee sauce (below).  Once a little cool, slice the cake into about one inch cubes.  Separate cake pieces with a fork to pour the sauce in between each one and around the edges.

"The Sauce"

3/4 C brown sugar

1/2 C butter (1 stick)

3/4 C heavy cream

Add above ingredients to sauce pan and heat until thick without boiling.  If you have any sauce left over after pouring between the pieces, just pour it on top.  If you make and slice the cake ahead of time, you can make it piping hot again if you pour the sauce on it just before serving.  Optionally, you can save some sauce to do a drizzle on the plate as well.  For the photo above, I did a drizzle with some of the heavy cream that was left.

Note:  I love this recipe.  It is an old, Scottish family recipe of Chef Brad, the Grain Chef who I met at the BYU Education Week classes on whole grain nutrition.  He has many great recipes,and most of them are much healthier!  I actually attended a private cooking class at the Bosch Kitchen Center with a personal trainer friend when this was revealed.  Fun memories.  

There's no question that this is a "treat" best made only once or twice a year.  I have tried to modify it and make a healthier version, but it's my family's consensus that it's just not worth it.  The Sauce really can't be modified well, and using whole grain flour instead just changes the texture.  My advice: make this as dessert, THOROUGHLY ENJOY YOUR SMALL PORTION, and invite friends  over to help you finish it so it doesn't stay in your kitchen after that first night.

If you want to feel a little better about it, add a scoop of Blendfresh Green to the batter (you won't taste it with everything else going on), and when your done, drink a tall glass of water with a scoop of Blendfresh Spouted Fiber Blend to bind with some of the fat and minimize the damage!

And Bliadhna Mhath Ùr (Gaelic for Happy New Year!)

The lowest price from Blendtec!

Blendtec is the maker of the most advanced blenders in the world.  This includes the blenders that power businesses like Starbucks, Roxberry, Jamba Juice, Baskin Robbins and many more. And now for a limited time they are making refurbished models of the Total Blender available for only $99 through my link to Blendfresh Club members (more info below)!  This is the same blender you've seen at Costco for over $300!!

This is very exciting for everyone that has wanted a good blender, but hasn't had the budget to spend $300-500!  $99 is the price you would pay for a lower quality blender like Ninja, or Magic Bullet, but now for that same price you can get Blendtec quality and warranty!  To be clear, THIS IS A FACTORY REFURBISHED BLENDER.  So technically it's not brand new, but it has been repaired, inspected and endorsed by the manufacturer Blendtec, and still will carry it's own seven year warranty when you purchase it.  Often times someone has merely changed their mind, or hasn't used their blender so will return it, a perfectly good machine that the company will not sell as new.

Here's the other good part.  The way they are able to make such an amazing deal available is through their new sister company Blendfresh.  You can find more details about how amazing this is, but all you need to know is that a company like Blendtec with a multi-million dollar reputation saw that their customers needed a way to save money on clean, pesticide free and non-GMO produce and keep it from wasting and spoiling.  

So they patented a process called "Fresh Drying" where they take only the best, clean fruits and veggies and dry them at low temperatures so they are still raw and keep all their nutrients and enzymes preserved.  Then they powder them and make them available to easily add to smoothies, oatmeal, sauces, drinks, dips, anything you can think of to boost the health value and add to the taste. Click here to see my favorite ways to use Blendfresh.

Now, when you subscribe for 12 months to $29.99 a month of Blendfresh products (just one bottle per month) you can get the refurbished Total Blender for $99!  Crazy good deal!  I post tons of recipes and ways to use Blendfresh, and even if you aren't getting a blender I recommend adding Blendfresh to your shopping list for convenience, better health, savings and added flavor in your recipes.  

If healthy eating is easy, you'll do it!  So why not save money at the same time?  This way you save on your produce bill and get a great deal on an awesome blender at the same time!  Or some people like to switch the math around and feel they are paying a fair price for a great blender and getting a year of high quality produce for free.  Either way you look at it, YOU WIN!

This $99 promo is available only for Blendfresh Club members (just a $10 fee for a lifetime membership that will get you discount on Blendtec blenders and accessories, and savings on all Blendfresh products).When you're ready to get your new blender on the way (good choice!) just click this link, Join the Club and choose your order.  Remember you commit to one bottle of Blendfresh at $29.99 per month (choose any variety you like) for 12 months to gt this deal.  If you have any questions send an email to jenn@coachjenngibbs.com with your phone number and I am happy to answer questions and even enter your order for you.

That's everything you need to know.  I can't wait for you to fall in love with all the new cool things you'll be able to do with your new Blendtec blender and before long you will be positively addicted to using the Blendfresh foods like I am!  If you'd like to see a video to learn more about them click here to be taken to YouTube where I explain the program in detail.  Thanks!  I can't wait to help you get healthy!

The Magic of Flavor - Capers and Lowfat Tilapia Piccata Recipe

If you're like most of us trying to be health conscious, you've probably tried the "eat clean" baked chicken breast and steamed broccoli phase.  For many body builders, this is a staple go-to meal and is accepted as is.  But let's face it - they have a much bigger motivation than the average person.  They have a deadline to bare just about everything in a tiny swimsuit on a stage.  Been there, done that, it can be very intimidating.  And yes, it is a great source of strength for food choices!

But what if you just want to eat healthy and not be bored?  Don't get me wrong.  I DO encourage people to begin planning their meals and snacks with a lean protein and vegetable and then see what else you decide to add.  It's an easy strategy.  So yes, chicken and broccoli (adapt if you are vegetarian).  But it doesn't have to be flavorless.

I want to share one of my secret weapons; the caper.  You may have heard of them or had them once or twice, maybe in a Mediterranian restaurant, but likely they aren't in your fridge.  I would think they'd be more mainstream as tasty as they are.

Capers are small, pea sized buds from the caper bush.  They are pickled for flavor, but they taste nothing like a pickle!  Some call it a tart flavor, but I say think of the flavor of a salt and vinegar potato chip.  If your not a fan of the chips, just imagine what a little of that flavor would be like to liven up chicken or fish, or in a green or bean salad.  Just a little unexpected zest that makes it fun for almost no more calories.  Hooray!

If you go to fancy Italian restaurants you might have seen Chicken Piccata as a dish on the menu.  The traditional version is to dredge your chicken breast (or for fish too) in beaten egg, dip in flour, then fry in olive oil.  When it's done squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top and decorate with capers.  I've opted for the healthy version in the picture above.  Super easy - I dare you to try it.

Tilapia Piccata (lowfat version)

Frozen tilapia loin
Salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste
Lemon
Capers

Place frozen tilapia in a pan and season.  Bake in a 350 degree oven about 20-25 minuted depending on the size of the cut, until fish flakes easily with a fork at the center.  Squeeze lemon juice and sprinkle capers on top.  Enjoy with a giant salad!

If you need help finding them, just look in any grocery store (this pic is from Walmart!).  It's in the aisle with the olives and canned artichokes.  Grab some of those while you're there to keep on hand for your next pasta salad.  Enjoy and share!