(Yes, it’s low-sugar, gluten-free, high-protein, and delicious)
By March Twisdale
What do you see in your social media feed? We all know about “the algorithm” that funnels content toward individuals, but how often do we acknowledge our role in what shows up? The algorithm is like the perfect mirror, reflecting back to us our own online activity and behavior.
Think on that for a minute. It means, “We get more of what we show interest in.” So, ask yourself a question: “What does my feed say about me?”
My feed is swimming in healthy recipes. Not because I am a health nut, but because I want to be! I can scroll for hours, copying and saving recipe after recipe in the notes section of my phone. But you know what? Recipes only improve our health when we make them and eat them! (Who knew?) New rule for me: stop scrolling and start cooking!
This one is super-delicious, easy to make, awesome fresh out of the oven, perfect as a leftover, and it’s easy to adjust or add ingredients as you so choose. Currently, I work two jobs (at least) and do my week’s worth of cooking on Sundays. This recipe turns into a bunch of pre-packed servings in my fridge that I can grab anytime I want. YUM + HEALTHY.
Cut a butternut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds, place flat side down on a cooking sheet or in a pan with some water and bake at 400° for about 25 minutes until soft (skin may get a slightly toasty look to it). Peel off the skin and set aside until cool.
I use a blender. If it’s a small squash, maybe I can get it all done in one batch. If larger, I’ll split all ingredients and do two batches. The ingredients below go with an average sized butternut squash.
Ingredients
Blending step
- Cooled, baked butternut squash (skin removed)
- 4 raw eggs (some people use only egg whites)
- ¾ cup cocoa powder (I choose a good quality, organic option: you could also use carob powder)
- ¾ cup gluten-free, rolled oats ground into flour (I use a coffee bean grinder)
- ¾ cup buckwheat flour (I buy it already ground into flour)
- 1-2 tsp baking powder (I add this to the above dry flours for better distribution)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup & monk fruit drops (to taste)*
- A healthy dash of salt
- 1-2 tsp vanilla (mine is homemade with vanilla beans soaked in vodka)
- ½ to 1 cup cold-brew espresso (enough to help the mixture blend smoothly)
- At the end: 1 cup dark chocolate wafer cut into smaller pieces (80% or stronger chocolate)
* Note: I also add maple syrup later, when I eat it, so I make it very LOW sweetness.
Serving step
- Yogurt (I prefer whole fat, plain – I’m adding a creamy aspect, not altering flavor)
- Cottage cheese (again, I go with whole fat, but you do you!)
Add all wet ingredients, blend. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to the blender (add extra cold brew coffee if necessary to get a thick and only barely pour-able consistency. At the end, toss in the chocolate chunks and either blend very briefly or stir into the mix once you’ve poured it into the baking pan. You want the chunks to stay chunky and not be blended up too fine.
Pour mix into baking pan (aiming for about 2 inches thick, it will not rise much, so a couple of loaf pans or a deep casserole dish works well). MAKE SURE TO USE PARCHMENT PAPER! NO OIL OR BUTTER. I find that crumpling the paper up in your hands first is a neat trick for easy placement in whatever shaped pan you’re using.
Bake at 350-375° for 25-35 minutes, until the top looks cooked but the center is a bit jiggly. Take it out, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, lift it out with the parchment paper, it should hold its shape enough to set on a cutting board. Eat now warm, or let sit until cool enough to portion it out and pop in the fridge!
If you eat it warm, it’s like moist cake on the bottom and mousse in the middle, with a lightly firm top. Perfect alone or with yogurt (I think it would be too rich with ice cream). Once it cools, portion it out into mason jars or Tupperware containers AND here’s the kicker! Add both yogurt AND cottage cheese! The yogurt adds creaminess, the cottage cheese adds protein and a tang to the chocolatey sweetness, especially if you pour a bit of maple syrup on it later.
Of course, you can hide all sorts of wonderful things in a dish like this, from protein powder, to fiber supplements, to you name it! But, I recommend starting with it as it is, so you get the full-blown awesome experience before you start experimenting with added stuff. Enjoy!
