"You Make the Best Butter Tarts!"

“You make the best butter tarts in the world”, he remarked.  “Really?”  Oh, my. ... I was surprised by the comment- coming from my husband- so with pen in hand I decided to give some insights into my philosophy of baking desserts. There are numerous poor choices in the  dessert marketplace, vying for our attention. ... Usually, they contain an overabundance of sugars/corn syrups and other questionable ingredients/fillers that the body does not want/need or cannot process very easily. (Let us not overwhelm our bodies with ingredients created in a laboratory. Mother Nature knows best!) ...  Butter tarts are a delicious treat. Using a whole wheat/cake flour mix can be the basis for a new kind of pastry, a healthier one. .... But it is possible to make other changes in subtle ways, not necessarily noticeable to the discerning eye or taste buds. The addition of ground flaxseeds onto the pastry prior to the addition of the filling in making butter tarts is one way to increase the health quotient of the butter tarts without altering its flavour/texture status. ..   Substituting maple syrup for corn syrup and including fresh lemon juice, as well,  can make butter tarts a welcoming addition in making these tarts. We now know that seeds have numerous health benefits so it makes sense to include them when baking, too. (Chia, pumpkin, sesame, poppy and sunflower seeds are notable heavyweights). .... (Filling: 2 eggs, butter, lemon juice/vinegar -(in the filling and pastry)- then brown sugar, maple syrup-whipped together.)

Next, we have homemade pasta dishes -ravioli, perogies, noodles- all favourites of mine whose recipes can always be tweaked to enhance their health benefits easily. ...  At some point, we must get over the taste of things we do not like, especially, if it is something our bodies need to stave off cancer, heart disease or stroke. ...  The point of eating is for longevity and health! (Eating is not a hobby to be taken lightly.) ... Trying something new or making something differently makes eating an adventure. I have made terrible dough while trying to remake it. My dear mother-in-law happened to be visiting when my worst perogy dough was presented to her to eat. The next time, it was my best dough, ever. (She was there for the remake.)   A balance in what we do in remaking a recipe is the prudent way to go, after all, we learn by our mistakes.

Mixing different flours, adding eggs and oil to plain ‘envelope’ dough can infuse flavours and add health benefits. ...  Chopping tiny amounts of spinach/kale/Swiss chard into a sauerkraut filling can enhance flavour and health benefits not customarily associated with these carbohydrate ‘packages’. Leaving the skin on potatoes wherever possible and adding just a small amount of fat into a multi ingredient dish is wonderful way to avoid overeating.  Rolling dough as thin as possible also helps to reduce carbohydrate intake, a bonus to health...    Using buckwheat kasha as a filling for cabbage rolls, instead of rice, is another healthy change of pace. ... (Kasha filling was a favourite of my dad’s)   To improve the health benefits of using rice, I decided to take a chance on using the lowly celery in massive amounts along with onions and garlic, to a lesser degree. The result: flavour through the roof, a healthy rice filling great on its own or as an accompaniment to other meats or fish.

Improving any dish simply requires a desire for change. Food is our ally in the attainment and maintenance of good health. Keeping records of the changes you make, as you reformulate recipes, will provide a written record of what works or doesn't work, guiding you in the right direction. The food supply system has changed. Maybe, what we use to make our traditional dishes/desserts needs to change, too. Will that be kasha or rice cabbage rolls?