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!

• 5 Tbsp. Expeller pressed Canola Oil
  
• 1/2 cup Xagave
  
• 2 large Eggs
  
• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  
• 1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
  
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
  
• 3 cups Cake Flour
  
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
  
• 1 tsp. Lemon Zest
  
• 1 cup Vanilla Soymilk
  
• 1 cup Frozen Blueberries

1. Pre-heat Oven to 350 degrees and gather all ingredients together.
2. Mix Xagave, lemon zest, oil, vanilla and egg together until soft and thick.
3. In a separate bowl, mix Baking Powder, Cake Flour, Salt and Baking soda together. Add
in the frozen blueberries to the dry ingredients and lightly coat (make sure they are
frozen and hard).
4. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, alternating with Soymilk.
5. Spray muffin containers very well with cooking spray or coat well with oil.
6. Distribute batter evenly between 18 baking cups, putting directly in the muffin tin.
7. Fill any unfilled spots in muffin containers with water to ensure muffins cook evenly.
8 . Cook in the oven for approximately 15 minutes and remove from oven and let cool for 1
to 2 minutes before removing from baking pan.
Makes 1 ½ dozen

For a video demonstration of this recipe, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdrUELsa75w.

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

chef@xagave.com

First Timer’s Cookbook

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/4 cup
Calories 93.5
Fat 0
Carbs 25g
Dietary Fiber 5.25g
Sugars 18g
Protein .13g

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 3 cups half and half
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Xagave
• 1/2 tsp maple flavoring
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

Whisk together half and half and spices in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and almost bring mixture to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks and brown sugar and whisk until smooth. Add 1 cup of the hot half and half mixture to the egg yolk mixture.  Once that is mixed well, pour the egg and half and half combination into the saucepan with the remaining half and half mixture.  Add the Xagave and maple flavoring.  Stir constantly until mixture thickens.

Remove the mixture from heat and stir in the pumpkin and vanilla.  Strain the mixture through a mesh sieve and let cool.  Refrigerate until the mixture is completely cooled  and pour into an ice cream maker. Churn the ice cream according to manufacturers instructions.  Freeze and enjoy!

• 6 oz water
• 1/2 apple
• 1 banana
• 5-6 strawberries
• handful of spinach
• 1.5 tbsp Xagave
• 1 cup ice

Put all ingredients in a blender and liquify.  Enjoy!

 Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cup Xagave
•  1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream (minus 2 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract

Steps:

In a saucepan combine, Xagave, butter, and 1 cup of heavy whipping cream.  Remove 2 tbsp from the other cup and set aside. 

Add vanilla extract to the remaining portion of cream and set it aside until later.

Bring the contents of the saucepan to a rolling boil while stirring frequently. Cook and stir until the mixture darkens and thickens, this could take a little while so if you feel like it’s taking too long, don’t worry, that’s just the way it goes.

After the mixture darkens and thickens, add the cream and vanilla mixture.

Bring the mixture back up to a rolling boil and stir frequently.

Cook until the mixture forms a fairly firm ball when dropped into cold water.  If you have a candy thermometer the temperature should be between 244 – 250 degrees F.

Pour mixture into lightly buttered 8 x 8 inch glass pan and cool at room temperature.

Once cool cut into 1 inch squares and wrap individually.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 can pumpkin
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup fat free milk
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tbsp Xagave

Steps:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic stirring constantly until tender. Stir in the carrot, celery, and pumpkin and cook until heated through,2 to 3 minutes.  Add the ginger, nutmeg, curry powder, vegetable stock and Xagave.  Bring to a boil,and reduce heat and simmer fo 15 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Blend the mixture in a food processor or with a hand held blender until smooth.  Add milk and blend until mixed.  Reheat the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the soup into 2 large bowls.

Top with creme fraiche or sour cream and enjoy!