Aren’t slider buns the cutest? I taught a ‘Cooking with Kids’ class last night and made sliders with everyone. They are the perfect portion size and kids really enjoy building their own petite sandwiches.  These sliders are inspired by Gatsby’s beet sliders in Sacramento, CA. I loved the idea of using beets as a meat filling and decided to re-create the idea in my own kitchen.

Ingredients:
3-4 large beets, scrubbed clean and tops removed
Slider buns (this recipe makes about 12-15 sliders depending on how thick you slice the beets and how big they are)
Creamy Herb Spread (recipe below)
1 tsp. oil
salt/pepper
sliced radishes or other garnishes 

Seasonings:
1 Tbsp whole allspice berries
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp whole cloves
1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
2 large bay leaves, crumbled 
1 Tbsp dried dill
1/3 cup salt

Creamy herb dressing:
1 avocado
1 small handful basil
1 small handful parsley
1/4 cup cashews, soaked for at least an hour then drained
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper

In a stock pot combine 8 cups water and the seasonings together. Bring to a boil and add the cleaned, whole beets. The water should cover the beets so if it doesn’t- add a bit more. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about an hour, until beets are tender. Remove the beets from the stock and let cool slightly. The skins should fall of easily at this point but if they don’t then remove the skins with a vegetable peeler. Slice the beets 1/4-1/2″ thick.

Make the creamy herb dressing by combing all ingredients together in a food processor.

When ready to assemble: heat a skillet to medium-high heat and heat the 1 tsp. of oil. You may also use cooking spray to lightly coat the pan. Add the beet slices and sear on both side until hot and slightly crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Stack 1 slice beet on 1 toasted slider bun. Top with sliced radishes and creamy herb spread.

I am excited to announce that I have joined a new recipe group “The Recipe ReDux.” On the 21st of each month I will be creating a new recipe based on that months theme. The best part about these recipe challenges is that it introduces you, the reader, to more healthy cooking blogs!

This months theme was grilling.  As a plant-based girl, my mind went to grilled summer vegetable salads, grilled cesear salad (got a spin on that coming soon) and grilled fruit salad. Ah, my favorite summer treat- grilled fruit. If you’ve ever had grilled fruit then you know the love affair I am speaking about. Smoky, warm, caramelized fruit , delicious with vanilla ice cream or on its own.

Grilled Summer Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

2 peaches, pitted and halved
2 plums, pitted and  halved
1/2 pineapple, cored and sliced into rings
1 banana, sliced in 1/2
1 mango, peeled and sliced
2 apricots, pitted and halved

Sauce:
3 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. If using a grill, oil a paper towel and rub on the grill crate to keep the fruit from sticking. Alternatively, you can lightly brush oil onto the bottom side of the fruit to prevent sticking. If your pieces are very small, you can use a grill basket.

Place the fruit cut side down onto the grill and cook for 5-7 minutes. The peaches, plums, pineapple and bananas will take the longest to cook. The mango heats up pretty quickly because it is so thin so you will want to take it off before the other fruits.

While the fruit is on the grill, combine the ingredients for the sauce. Use good quality balsamic vinegar here if you have it, you could also use an infused variety.

While the fruit is still warm, dice into bite size pieces (you can also leave whole and cut while you are eating it) Drizzle the grilled fruit with the sauce and serve immediately.

Other options: serve with a dollop of whipped cream, in crepes, or over ice cream/sorbet.

Take a look at what other Recipe ReDuxer’s came up with!

Alysa Bajenaru – Inspired RD
Alyssa from InspiredRD made Grilled Romaine Salad
Ann Dunaway Teh – Eat to Nourish, Energize & Flourish!  
Grilled Flank Steak with Grilled Corn and Peach Salsa
Cindy Brison - Nutrition Know How
Chef Pandita
Danielle Omar – Food Confidence
Grilled Sweet Peppers
Diane Welland – EatWellEatClean
Grilled Beet & Onion Salad with Goat Cheese
Dr Barb’s Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad - The Nutrition Budgeteer
EA Stewart – The Spicy RD
Grilled Polenta Veggie Stacks with Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes
Emma Stirling – The Scoop on Nutrition
Char Siu BBQ Pork
Gretchen – Kumquat
Grilled Tandoori Chicken Skewers
Jackie Mills- Delicious Diabetes Cooking
Grilled Proscuitto Shrimp with Asian Dipping Sauce
Jessica Fishman Levinson – Nutritioulicious
Grilled Salmon Burgers with Cherry Chutney
Kat Lynch – Eating The Week
Portobello mushrooms stuffed with spiced couscous
Katie Caputo- East Meats West
Succulent Sirloin Kabobs
Kristen – Swanky Dietitian
Portabella Mushroom Burgers with Grilled Corn
Lisa – Healthful Sense
Grilled Veggie Bean Burgers
Liz Weiss and Janice Newell Bissex – Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen
Mushroom Burgers with the Works, Mushroom Cannellini Spread
Marie Spano
Italian Grilled Turkey Burgers
Nicole Ferring Holovach – Whole Health RD
Grilled Eggs
Rebecca Scritchfield – MeFirst
Grilled Plantains: A Sweet Summer Side Dish
Regan – The Professional Palate
Grilled Eggplant & Two-Tomato Whole-Wheat Piadina
Serena – Teaspoon of Spice
Grilled Watermelon Salad

Talk about comfort food! Seriously this dish taste like butter! Creamy, saffron-spiked risotto mixed with fresh asparagus and spring peas. I actually made this back in late April and recently remembered that I had yet to post it! While asparagus and peas might not be in season anymore, it would taste great with red pepper, zucchini, green beans or tomatoes.

Saffron makes this dish taste elegant and rich. Yes, it’s a bit expensive but you only need a pinch or two to flavor the entire dish.

Ingredients:
1 leek, halved and sliced into half moons, white part only
1 tbsp. oil
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 tsp. saffron
1 small white onion, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 lemon
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup white wine

Dissolve the saffron in 1/4 cup hot water. Heat the stock in a separate sauce pan and add the saffron broth. In a separate sauce pan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil and sweat the garlic and onion for 5 minutes. Add the rice and continue to stir a few minutes, toasting the rice. Add the wine and cook another 5 minutes until the rice has absorbed the wine. Using a soup ladle, ladle 1 cup hot broth to the risotto mixture along with 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir until most of the liquid has absorbed. Continue to add the hot broth to the risotto until broth is gone and/or rice is creamy and fully cooked. Stir in the lemon juice and chopped vegetables, for this I used 1 bunch asparagus, sliced into 1″ pieces, and 1/2 cup spring peas. Cover the pot and let sit for 5 minutes. Season with salt/pepper if needed. You can also stir in nutritional yeast/parmesan cheese if desired.

My favorite part about this sugar-free challenge? I really don’t miss the sugar! It’s summertime and fruit is my go to sweet snack: fresh blackberries, strawberries and raspberries are my favorites.  I have noticed that I don’t crave  something sweet at the end of my meal like I used to. I get that not all of you may be feeling like that and sometimes, raspberries just don’t cut it!  Below are my favorite sugar-free sweets, enjoy!

Apple Crumble by Cathy Fisher 

Topping:1 cup walnuts
4 pitted dates 3 apples, peeled, sliced and large diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 apples, peeled, sliced and large diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 pitted Medjool dates
¼ cup raisins
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Apple filling:

Toss the 3 peeled, sliced and diced apples with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and set aside in a bowl. Next, in the food processor, blend the remaining 2 apples, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 6 pitted dates, raisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss this mixture with the sliced apples. Blend the walnuts and 4 dates in a food processor until the texture is a little smaller than Grape Nuts. Spoon into a small bowl and set aside. Place one-fourth of the apple filling into a small dessert dish and sprinkle with date-nut topping. Serves 4.

Nutty Candy

1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts
1 cup slivered almonds, chopped

In a food processor, combine the walnuts and raisins until a sticky paste forms. Form into small balls and roll in the almond mixture. Freeze until hard.

I just stumbled upon this company, Mac N Mo’s. They make sugar free, gluten free, sodium free, and preservative free vegan cookies that are big on taste. Check out their online store and if your in the LA area where you can go get them.

What sugar free treats do you like?