Healthy Tea Party Takeover

Healthy Tea Party Takeover

This month Foodbuzz and Kelly Confidential are partnering to host an Electrolux Top 9 Tea Party Takeover on Friday, March 25^th to raise money for ovarian cancer research. Please visit http://www.kelly-confidential.com/ to learn more and select the perfect tea party outfit for Kelly's Tea Party for a Cause.  For every vote Electrolux will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Plus, you'll be entered for a chance to win an Electrolux Perfect Steam washer and dryer


All Featured Publishers on Foodbuzz were invited to participate in the Top 9 Tea Party Takeover by creating the perfect tea party recipe. For every Tea Party recipe created, Foodbuzz will donate $50 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. 


I was so thrilled to get started on developing the perfect healthy tea party recipe for this I woke up several times throughout that night thinking about it! What a great cause and what a great opportunity to come up with another healthy dessert recipe. I googled “Tea Party Recipes” and found the likes of scones, creampuffs, shortbread cookies, pound cake. Are you getting hungry yet? Stop right there. Pull up some of those recipes and look at the ingredients list. I’m sure you have even made some of these yourself, me included in the past. This is what I see when I look at these recipes. Refined sugars, butter, heavy cream, eggs and bleached white flour. Definitely unhealthy and not on my list of foods I eat now.


My diet primarily consists of plant-based, nutrient-rich foods. I have grown to understand that food has powerful disease-protecting properties and a diet consisting of green-leafy vegetable and fruits will help protect me and my family against these. Here’s the food pyramid my family and I follow.

Click on this picture for a larger view

I used to make Berry Pie years ago from The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. I don’t even have it anymore, but this recipe is based loosely on it from what I can remember. I’ve replaced the regular pie crust with a raw almond, date and coconut one and removed white sugar replacing it with date sugar.

Hey, we don’t want to eat desserts all the time, it causes use to crave them more and overeat. However, I love dessert and my family does too. This Healthy Berry Pie is a great alternative to traditional desserts that I feel good about serving to my family and friends. Oh and did I say how scrumptious it is. This one didn’t make it through the day. I had it tested and everyone kept coming back for more. If you make this one you will be hooked too.

The health benefits:

This pie is antioxidant rich and full of many health benefits.

Almonds have been shown to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Dates are high in fiber and contain essential minerals like vitamin A, thiamine, potassium and riboflavin to name a few. Blueberries and strawberries fight free radicals and protect against certain cancers. There are a lot of unproven claims about Acai berry, but it is still high in antioxidants and a great addition to your diet. I love it in a smoothie and I’m so glad I added it to this pie. It made it even more fantastic. Incorporating colorful fruits into your daily diet is crucial and promotes optimum health! So here it is.

My Healthy Tea Party Takeover Recipe

No Bake Date Almond Pie Crust

 Ingredients:

1 cup raw almonds

¼ cup fresh grated or unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup pitted dates (preferably medjool dates), soaked in cold water for 30 minutes

2 tbsp date syrup Organics are for Everyone Date Syrup

Directions:

Place the almonds in a food processor with an S-shaped blade and process until it reaches a crumbly consistency. Drain dates and add to food processor with coconut, date syrup and process until the dates are broken down and mixed in well with other ingredients. It should be a thick paste-like mixture.

To shape the crust, place crust mixture into a pie pan and shape and mold the crust to the pan with fingers.

Chill the crust in the refrigerator for an hour or until ready to use.

Berry Pie Filling

4 cups blueberries

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 (3.5 oz) defrosted package unsweetened Acai smoothie pack (I use Sambazon which I buy at Whole Foods in the freezer section)

¼ cup date sugar Aunty Patty's Organic Date Sugar

¼ cup light coconut milk

2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 tbsp tapioca flour

Directions:

Place 2 cups blueberries, defrosted acai pack, date sugar, coconut milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and tapioca flour in food processor with S-shaped blade and process ingredients until smooth.  Place berry pie filling in small saucepan and heat on low to medium-low heat stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes until it thickens to a consistency of pudding. Pie filling should be nice and thick. Allow pie filling to cool completely.

To assemble pie:

Add 1 cup blueberries with 1 cup sliced strawberries to mixing blow. Stir in cooled pie filling and fold in until combined. Pour pie filling into prepared pie pan and top with remaining 1 cup of blueberries. Place in the refrigerator to set for minimum 1 hour or until ready to serve. This can be made a day ahead.

I would have added raspberries to this too, but they didn’t look good at the store, next time. I would also like to do this in tartlet pans, but I don’t have any. Maybe for my next birthday? Hi, Honey. =)                                                     

Enjoy this delicious, antioxidant rich healthy recipe for your next tea party.

It’s nutrient-rich and delish.

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