We like to make these healthy smoothies for breakfast, but they’re great at any time of the day. Don’t forget about after-school snacks for the kids, a late night healthy nosh, or a mid-day power boost.

Agave Green Smoothie

2 cups of loosely packed spinach or kale

2 cups of peaches or mangos

1 banana

1/4 cup Xagave agave

1-2 cups of water

Blend all ingredients in your favorite blender.  (Start with 1 cup of water and add more to make the smoothie your preferred consistency, you can also add ice.) Taste and add more Xagave agave nectar if desired.

Other addition ideas:

Melons, frozen berries, oranges, almond milk.

Pear and Blue Cheese Pizza with Agave

Pizza dough

2 small, ripe pears (or one large)

1/3 cup blue cheese

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped broccoli

2 cups of mozzarella cheese

1 small yellow onion, caramelized

Cornmeal

Olive Oil

Xagave

Thinly slice your onion and over medium-low heat in skillet, caramelize the onion (stir it occasionally until it browns nicely.) Make or purchase your favorite pizza dough.

Sprinkle cornmeal onto your work surface and pat your dough into your preferred pizza shape (circle or rectangle.) Brush the top with olive oil. Place thinly sliced pears over the surface of the pizza, sprinkle with the blue cheese, add the garlic and broccoli, layer on the caramelized onions, and top with the mozzarella.

Slide your pizza onto a heated pizza stone in a 450 degree oven.  Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Transfer pizza to a rack. Slice your pizza and drizzle with Xagave agave syrup for the perfect sweet and savory combination.

They didn’t stick to the ground, just flurried in the air, but soon enough snow will be piling up! This calls for a mug of hot cocoa sweetened with Xagave’s agave. It comes together in just a few minutes and you have a delicious treat with all the anti-oxidants of pure cocoa and the low glycemic properties of Xagave! Once you’ve tried homemade hot cocoa, you’ll never want to go back to the overly-sugary powders.

Agave Hot Cocoa:

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup agave

3 cups of milk

pinch of salt

Place cocoa in a large sauce pan. Add pinch of salt. Slowly whisk the milk into the cocoa to avoid lumps. Add the agave nectar. Heat the milk and cocoa over medium high heat, stirring often. Remove from heat as soon as it’s hot enough for you. Taste the cocoa to make sure it’s as sweet as you like, add more agave as needed. Serve in warm mugs.

I picked up some apples from a local orchard and have been planning on putting them up in glass jars for storage and great winter eating. Canning fresh fruit is a way to preserve inexpensive and delicious local produce at the height of freshness. Traditionally, people used processed white sugar to preserve and can fruits. Canning your own applesauce allows you to control the ingredients, especially the sugar level. I’m using Xagave agave nectar to replace the sugar in my applesauce.

To make applesauce

10 pounds of sweet-tart apples, like Jonagold, Granny Smiths, or any type of apples you prefer

1 cup water

Squeeze of lemon

Xagave agave nectar

Dash of salt

Cinnamon (opt)

Equipment

Canning Jars, lids, and rings

Boiling water canner

A wide-mouth funnel

Large stock pot

Tongs

Peel, core, and slice your apples. Place them in a large stock pot on your stove over medium high heat with a cup of water. When the apples begin to reduce and cook down, turn down the heat to medium low. Simmer your apples for about 30 minutes, checking to make sure they don’t burn and adding another 1/3 cup of water as needed.  Mash those apples, or use an immersion blender to puree them to the consistency you prefer. Take the pot off the heat. Add a squeeze of lemon, a dash of salt, and enough Xagave agave nectar until it’s sweetened to your taste.

Notice that we didn’t put down an amount of Xagave, that’s because you’re the one who will be eating your applesauce and you know how you like it! Start with ¼ cup of Xagave nectar and add more as needed. If you like cinnamon, add 1 tsp of the spice as well.

Now you’re ready to can!

Make sure you run your jars through the dishwasher on heated dry to ensure they’re squeaky clean. Simmer the clean rings and lids in water to sterilize. Use your wide mouth funnel to fill your jars with your Xagave agave sweetened applesauce—fill only to the bottom of the ring around the jar leaving about ½” of space. Don’t over fill! Use a clean knife to run around the applesauce inside the jar to release any air bubbles. Wipe around the rim of the jar to clean it. Put the lid on top and screw on your rings until it’s tight.

Set your agave applesauce jars in a warm water bath over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil those cans for 25 minutes. Use tongs to remove the VERY hot jars and set them on a dish towel to cool. You should hear them popping to seal. Allow them to cool overnight, checking in the morning to make sure the lids are on firm and are slightly concave. Use any jars that didn’t seal properly right away.

If you’re an old pro at canning, we’d love to hear your comments and suggestions on replacing sugar in canning with agave nectar!

Image found at karmafreecooking.wordpress.com

• 1 Whole-sliced peach, plum, apple or any other fruit or berry
• ¼ Cup Yogurt
• 1 Tblspn Xagave
• ¼ Cup Granola

1. Slice fruit and lay in the bottom of a cup
2. In a separate bowl combine Xagave and yogurt and mix.
3. Place Xagave and yogurt mix on top of fruit.
4. Place granola on top of yogurt mix and enjoy!

Questions about the recipe or about using Xagave in your own kitchen? Ask Chef Shawn!

chef@xagave.com

First Timer’s Cookbook

Image found at biermagazine.com

Combine all ingredients and blend for 2 to 3 minutes until mixture is smooth.

Questions about the recipe or about using Xagave in your own kitchen? Ask Chef Shawn!

chef@xagave.com

First Timer’s Cookbook

Image from builtnatural.com

• 2 ea 15 oz. Cans Garbanzo Beans
• 1 tsp Sesame Oil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tblsp Xagave

1. Combine all ingredients in blender and blend for approximately 2 minutes or until smooth.
2. Serve immediately or store in fridge for up to 1 week.

For “Roasted Red Pepper Hummus” add ½ cup diced pimentos to step one.

For “Roasted Sun Dried Tomato Hummus” add ½ cup sundried tomatoes to step one.

Questions about the recipe or about using Xagave in your own kitchen? Ask Chef Shawn!

chef@xagave.com

First Timer’s Cookbook

Image found at delectablehodgepodge.com

Salad

• 1 bunch (2 cups) Spinach
• 1 small -sliced Apple
• ¼ cup Almonds

Dressing

• 1 tblsp Xagave
• 1 tblsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• To taste salt and pepper (optional)
• ½ tsp Cinnamon

1. Combine greens with Apple and Almonds.
2. In a separate bowl combine Xagave, Apple Cider Vinegar, Cinnamon, salt and pepper and mix.
3. Toss greens, Apples and Almonds with dressing and serve.

Questions about the recipe or about using Xagave in your own kitchen? Ask Chef Shawn!

chef@xagave.com

First Timer’s Cookbook

• 6 cups hot tap water
• 2 cups nine-grain cracked cereal (uncooked)
• 1/3 cup millet
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds (cracked or whole
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 2 cups high gluten flour (or 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten)
• 1/2 cup Xagave
• 2/3 cup Expeller Pressed Canola Oil
• 2 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp instant yeast
• 3 tbsp dough enhancer
• Whole Wheat Bread Flour (approx. 14 cups)

Measure first five ingredients in Bosch mixing bowl (hot water, cracked cereal, millet, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds).  Let sit for five minutes.  Add 9 cups of wheat flour, Xagave, oil, salt, and mix to a paste.  Add yeast.  Mix on level one of your Bosch machine (or equivalent on other electric mixers) and add 1 cup of flour at a time until mixture cleans sides of the bowl (this should equate to approximately 14 cups, but temperature and climate will make exact amount vary).  Knead for 7 minutes. Add dough enhancer and knead until well mixed through.  Form into 6 large loaves and put into greased bread pans.  Cover loaves and let rise until about 2 inches above pan (approximately 30 minutes).  Bake at 350ºF for 30 min.

Tips and Notes:

Making bread is not difficult if you have the right equipment.  It is both an art and a science so we recommend taking a bread making class at your local cooking store.  In addition, we highly recommend investing in a Bosch Universal Machine, but other electric mixers can be used or it can be done by hand.

We know this is a large amount of bread for most families.  The good news is that this recipe freezes particularly well;  although best if served fresh with butter and jam.

• 2 cups lowfat milk
• 1/4 cup Expeller Pressed Canola Oil
• 2 eggs (2/3 cup egg substitute)
• 2 tbsp Xagave
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Put all wet ingredients into a blender and blend. Add dry ingredients and blend until just slightly lumpy (about 30 seconds).  Heat Griddle on medium-high (400°).  Grease griddle.  Pour batter onto griddle (about 1/4 cup at a time) when hot and cook until bubbles form and edges dry.  Turn and cook other side.