27.Dec.2009 It (Xa)gave you everything you wanted

If you’ve read this blog for more than 2 days (hats off to you!), you may have noticed I’m a big fan of sweeteners that are just a bit healthier, or should I say, less bad for you than good ole granulated white or brown sugars can be.

Agave has been a favorite for a long while, with its rather mild flavor and low-glycemic qualities, so I was stoked to get a chance to try Xagave.

This particular brand claims their sweet thing beats the other guys’ to a pulp in the fact that it is inulin-rich (to sum it up: supposed to make your digestive system, bones, and bowels dance the jig for joy), organically grown, and it can also save your marriage. Just checking if you’re paying attention.

While I’ve only given a try to the nectar for about 1 week and therefore haven’t gotten a chance to see much of the health benefits the Xagave makers claim it possesses, I can tell you for sure that:

1. The packaging is really sweet: you know those bottles of agave that leak all over the place when they’re not supposed to and then are a pain to open when you really need them to? Well, this one’s got the type of cap some water bottles do, you know, the sporty kind? It makes it really easy to pour and close, without making a mighty mess of it.

2. The flavor isn’t extremely different from other agave brands I’ve tried (and I’ve tried many), but it’s delicious and sweet and, well, agave-like.

3. The kit I received included a cookbook, not vegan, alas, but with loads of things that would be easily made vegan. It also came with a sugar exchange table that allows one to switch from any kind of sugar to agave without breaking a neuron. You can find it on their website. Oh, along with a few recipes, too.

I put the agave to good use by whipping up a healthy breakfast, in the form of a typically Swiss breakfast, to be prepared the night before, and enjoyed first thing in the morning. Or at least as soon as the hunger demons feel awake enough to partake in some food. The bircher will keep several days, so no worries if you cannot finish it all in one day.

Berry Suisse Bircher Muesli

7 ounces (200 g) roasted chestnuts
3/4 cup (180 ml) apple cider, divided
1/2 cup (120 g) unsweetened plain nondairy yogurt
1/2 cup (160 g) all-fruit blackberry and/or raspberry spread or 1 cup (151 g) fresh or frozen blackberries and/or raspberries, thawed
1/2 cup (180 ml) unsweetened nondairy milk, more if needed
2 tablespoons (42 g) light agave nectar, to taste
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch fine sea salt
1/3 cup (40 g) dried berries of choice
1 cup (80 g) old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup (113 g) fresh or frozen blackberries and/or raspberries, thawed
A few sliced almonds, to decorate

Place chestnuts and 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 6 minutes, or until the chestnuts are soft enough to mash coarsely, and that most of the liquid is gone. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or in a blender, blend yogurt, spread or fruit, milk, remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider (or sub nondairy milk, but apple cider sweetens the deal), agave, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.

If using a blender, transfer into large bowl and stir in cooled down mashed chestnuts, along with dried berries and oats. The mixture will look thinner than it should, but that’s fine: you want to leave room for the oats to be swell and stuff. If you find that it is not thin enough, add more cider or milk.

Cover and let sit overnight in the fridge, to let the oats make sweet music with the rest of the ingredients.

Add more milk if the mixture is too thick. Add more agave if you feel it needs to be sweeter. Serve with berries.
Decorate each serving with a few almonds, if you’d like.

Yield: 4 servings