Raisins toward a healthy life

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle while eating sweet, delicious treats is now made possible with the help of Mother Nature’s candy — raisins.

California Raisins, along with a multi-awarded German chef, Dr. Klaus Tenbergen and Ikomai and Tochi owner and executive chef James Antolin, reinvents sweets in the healthiest way possible by showcasing two vegan and vegetarian-friendly recipes for Filipinos to recreate at home.

Tenbergen and Santiago created the recipes to incorporate raisins in these healthy desserts.
Using healthier ingredients, the chefs served a California Raisin-inspired feast with healthier, easy-to-make desserts: Easy Coconut California Raisin Bites and Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mug Cake.

“It’s not only that this is easy and really, really simple to do, but it’s also an opportunity to engage your children in the kitchen to do something easy to understand,” Tenbergen said. “I really believe that children engaged in the kitchen actually love eating what they make.”

California Raisins works through Dr. Klaus Tenbergen and Dr. Priscila Santiago in the food arena, especially in the baking industry, with carefully crafted dishes that showcase the versatility of raisins.

“Yummy snacks and desserts can still have a place on your table, even as you commit to a healthy lifestyle,” said Richard Lieu, director of Trade and Promotions. “Opting for natural ingredients like California raisins, being more informed and intentional about your food choices and pursuing balance and moderation, can help make your wellness journey not just sustainable in the long-term, but even joyful and rewarding as well.”

Through California Raisins, Filipinos are educated to modify their favorite dishes and still delight in eating it — and you’ll never know, this might just be the start of your sweet, wellness journey.

Bite-sized nutrition

The Coconut Raisin Bites contain almonds, coconut and raisin paste fused together for a very healthy and delicious serving.

Ingredients:

California Natural Raisins 288g
Shredded coconut (unsweetened) 72g
Almonds 55g
Coconut oil (melted) 100g
Wheat germ (toasted) 100g
Oats (toasted) 150g
Raisin paste 150g
Apricot jam  85g

Make a raisin paste with the California Raisins, coconut oil, almonds and apricot jam. If done, add the wheat germ and oats to the paste and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. Form the paste into 12g balls and roll them in shredded coconut. Place them in an airtight container and store under refrigeration for up to two weeks.

Quick snack

The Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mug Cake, on the other hand, is all about using a microwave. Done in less than a minute, the cake is an on-the-go snack that can be enjoyed with great fruit juices and surprise company.

Ingredients:

California Raisins 170g
Almond milk
(can be plant-based
milk or cow’s milk) 340g
Vegetable oil 100g
Honey 180g
Gluten-free flour
(can be all-purpose flour) 300g
Gluten-free oats
(can be quick oats) 150g
Baking powder 12g
Salt 7.5g
Cinnamon 3.3g
Cinnamon/sugar mix
(as needed)
Red berries coulis
(as needed)

Put the almond milk, oil, and honey in a bowl and whisk. In a separate one, mix the dry ingredients (flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon) and whisk again; stir in half the California Raisins – then mix all the ingredients together.

Coat a coffee mug with cooking spray and flour. Add 125g of the batter and add 1 tablespoon of red berries coulis, sprinkle the top with some oats, the remaining California Raisins, and cinnamon-sugar to taste. Then put it in the microwave for 1 ½ to 2 minutes. The cake is ready when it has stopped rising and no longer looks wet around the sides. Let cool slightly before serving.