She has good taste...

My Favorite Sweet Potato Fries

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 23:59:00 +0000

I grew up in Idaho so I'm sure its a bit scandalous how much I love sweet potato's. I'll take them over russets any day. Anyway, while searching for a recipe for a one of the two Gomers (go check out their podcast right now- they are hilarious! http://www.twogomers.com/), I realized that I've never posted my favorite sweet potato recipe!

We make these several times a week at my house. Sweet potatoes have so many vitamins in them that I never feel bad about these carbs...

Sweet Potato Fries
2 medium sweet potato, sliced into long steak fries
place in a large zip lock bag and add:
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs sugar (or honey or splenda-what ever your choice of sweetener)
1 tbs chili powder (I always add extra- I love the stuff!)
1 tbs cinnamon

Shake and bake at 400 for about 30 minutes. Depending on how thick you cut the fries this will be more or less... Now- they won't be exactly crispy- you're not frying them after all- but what you're giving up in texture is more than made up for in flavor. They taste amazing!

Enjoy!

Dehydrated- in a good way! Apple Chips

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:47:00 +0000

About 2 weeks ago I purchased a dehyrator. I decided to buy the Nesco Square dehydrator for the top fan, heat settings and increase drying surface area that the square provides over the circular models. I think its the best dehydrator out there for less than $70 and after using it for a few weeks I'm still happy with my purchase.
When it arrived my husaband kind of rolled his eyes thinking I'd never use it. He changed his tune after my first batch of apple chips and was sold after some zucchini and sweet potato chips.

I'm still learning interesting ways to use y dehydrator, so if you have nay recipes or suggestions please share!

I brought a bag of my apple chips into work and people were amazed. I got a little ribbing because I'm getting a reputation at work for my "Practical hobbies"... ("Did you know she makes her own yogurt too!") but whenever anyone tried one they were pleasantly shocked at how good they were which then resulted in a conversation about how much money they spend on different foods you can make in a dehydrator...

Apple Chips
Wash several fresh apples and remove the stems- your choice of which kinds but I like the ones with a sweet tang to them like Figi, Gala or granny smith. I tried a macintosh and it didn't taste great- not bad- just not nearly as good as what I just mentioned.
Using a mandolin, slice thinly-the thinner you slice them the crispier they'll be and the faster they'll dry- that said, too thin and you'll have a hard time getting them off the sheet in one piece- experiment and see what you like. You don't need to core the apples- the seed s just pop out as you're slicing. When dehydrated the core tastes no different.
Apples need a lemon juice rinse. You can dehydrate apples with outhte lemon juice rinse but they will brown. The rinse before drying will keep them white and add some tartness- this improves the flavor significantly. Just slice your apples, place them in a bowl and pour about a1/4 cup lemon juice over the apples.Turn the apples and cty to coat each slice witht eh juice before lying them on the dehydrating sheet.
Dehydrate for about 6 hours. Taste test to know when they're done.

Simple Butternut-Leek-Chestnut Soup with Caramelized Pears

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:58:00 +0000

Simple Butternut-Leek-Chestnut Soup with Caramelized Pears
Serves 6 to 8

Soup:
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tbsp nutmeg
1/2 tbsp cardamom
1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 dried chipotle chiles
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large leek, white and pale green parts, rinsed and finely chopped
3 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 c. drained canned or jarred chestnuts, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
8 c. water
Garnish: Balsamic-caramelized pears
2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and diced
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

For Soup:
Put the cinnamon stick, ginger and chipotle chiles in cheesecloth. Knot securely or tie with string and set aside. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the leek and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the squash, chestnuts, sage, cheesecloth pouch, nutmeg, cardamom and water. The water should cover the squash by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat, cover, and simmer until the squash is tender and falls apart, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Remove the cheesecloth pouch and discard. Add the maple syrup and salt to taste. Transfer the soup to a blender and process until smooth, or process the soup in the pot with an immersion blender. If the soup seems too thick, add a bit more water.

Balsamic-caramelized pears
To make the caramelized pears, heat 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the diced pears and sauté for 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium and stir in the maple syrup, cinnamon, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the pears are soft and the liquid becomes syrupy and coats the pears. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

To serve: Gently reheat the soup, taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with the caramelized pears and serve warm.

Clean Tuna Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:58:00 +0000

Clean Comforting Tuna Casserole

I've never really been a tuna caserole fan. I'm sure it was a residual yick factor from my childhood, but they always seemed too greasy/mayo-y/bland for my tastes. However, the other night we were running low on fresh foods (a run to the grocery store was needed), and I was bored with chicken and so I turned to this recipe to utilize the canned meat and frozen veggies we had on hand. I was resigned to a cleaner version of a bland dish. Luckily, I was wrong about doubting this recipe.
At first bite I was a big fan. This is definatley a dish I'll make in my large ramekins to bring to work with me often. It tastes so good that you feel like you're eating a cheat meal but get the satisfaction of knowing you're eating a nutrient packed high protien low calorie clean meal.

Clean Comforting Tuna Casserole
Another version of an amazing recipe from Oxygen Mag.

1 small sweet potato grated
6 tbsp Parmesan cheese (vegan option- nutritional yeast- I actually do 3 tbsp of each. I'm a huge fan of nutritional yeasts flavor and its very high in protien so definately try it!)
1 tbsp mayo (I use lite miracle whip or greek yogurt)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder ( I used minced garlic)

1 tsp black pepper

1 cup skim milk

1 tsp olive oil (I just sprayed skillet with olive oil)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup frozen peas (I usually add 1.5 or 2 simply because I love peas)

2 cups cooked brown rice

1-7oz. can drained tuna (I doubled this and used a 2 6oz cans)

Preheat oven to 400
Oxygen says "Cook sweet potato in microwave, mash well, set aside." I grated my sweet potato and micrwaved it for 1 minute then added it to a large bowl with the parm cheese, mayo, mustard, garlic powder, pepper, and milk. Stir well. Heat oil in small skillet. Saute onion about 2 minutes. Add peas. Add brown rice to reheat. Stir into sweet potato mix. Add tuna and stir well.
Place everything in a 8x8 baking dish and bake 20 minutes.

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving in Oxygen's version:

Calories: 362.2
Total Fat: 10.6 g

Cholesterol: 45.6 mg

Sodium: 540.6 mg
Total Carbs: 41.3 g

Dietary Fiber: 5.0 g

Protein: 27.3 g

Dark Chocolate Grapes

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:13:00 +0000

Some days you just need chocolate.
I don't think I really have to explain more than that- you know it's true.
But what do you do when you're trying to eat clean and don't want to ruin a day of healthy eating? What about a quick easy dessert for when you're having people over for a special occasion? Something that pairs well with wine but won't take you forever to make?
Here's one secret weapon recipe... Chocolate covered grapes!

Homemade Dark Chocolate Grapes

1 100 gram bar of good quality dark chocolate. Use a 60-70% cocoa percentage chocolate for this recipe. The cheap but very good Lindt 70% bar is a great workhorse chocolate.
1 lb of seedless grapes (I love black grapes, but any will do)
2 Tbls of cocoa powder

Removed grapes fro their stems and wash and dry them well. A quick tip for drying them? Line a cookie sheet with a few paper towels and after washing grapes in a drainer, shaking off most of the water, place grapes on the paper towel lined cookie sheet and roll the grapes around- it will remove the excess water. Drier grapes makes it easier for the chocolate to coat them. Place the grapes into a large bowl, and re-line the cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or in a microwave with an attentive eye) until melted. Let cool down until the chocolate is merely warm.
Add the melted chocolate to the grapes and stir the grapes gently to coat. You can kind of toss or roll the grapes in the bowl to make sure that the grapes are evenly coated. When you have added all the chocolate to the grapes, and coated them pretty evenly, sift cocoa powder over them, toss or roll again to coat, and then place the grapes on a wax or parchment paper covered baking sheet.
Refrigerate until cold and the chocolate is set.

It may seem complicated but this is a very easy recipe and you'll be surprised at how well these turn out. Enjoy!

Kale Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 13:15:00 +0000

Kale Pesto

Original recipe reposted from Vegetarian Times (such a great magazine!) with my alternative recipe added below.

Click here for a full listing of nutritional value of original recipe.

Any type of kale will work in this pasta sauce as long as it is wilted until tender before blending. Pesto is a great sauce for pasta dishes, but also consider using it for sandwhich spreads.

Original recipe:
1 12-oz. bunch kale, stems removed, leaves torn into pieces
1/4 cup toasted pecan pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil

My alternative recipe:
1 12-oz. bunch kale, sliced and diced
1/4 cup toasted walnuts or almonds or your favorite nut
2 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbs olive oil
3 tbs + 1 tsp flax seed oil

notes:
I don't remove the stems since you'll be blending everything after all... might as well add fiber!

Toast the nuts yourself by baking them for a few minutes or sauteeing them in a dry skillet

5 tbs +1 sp oil is just an even trade for the 1/3 c oil. Adjust as you see fit. Using all flax seed oil would be great too!

Directions

Place kale pieces in large pot with 1 1/2 cups water, cover, and heat over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until kale is wilted but still bright green, tossing occasionally. Add more water while cooking if necessary. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Cool. Blend nut pieces and garlic cloves in food processor until finely chopped. Add cooled kale, and blend until thick paste forms. Add Parmesan, and blend until smooth. Add oil and 2 Tbs. kale cooking liquid, and blend until smooth, adding more liquid if necessary to obtain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:28:00 +0000

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again- I love Oxygen magazine for quite a few reasons, but thier recipes is certainly one of my main reasons. Last night I put together thier slow cooker recipe for black bean and butternut squash chili! It cooked over night and this morning I woke up to a ready made lunch for work! I love slow cooker recipes and need more good ones, so this recipe is sure to stay in rotation for a while...
I altered thier recipe to make it meat free- vegan actually- because I'm trying to cut my meat intake by about 50% so I can actually afford the organic, grass feed, free range, animal products that I know I should eat over the industrialized meat full of hormones and antibiotics that I know I shouldn't eat... its a process. I also altered the seasonings for what I had on hand, so I'll list what they call for and what I added as substitutions...

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili
Ready in 8 hours. Cook on low. Makes 8 servings

1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced ( I added 4 tsps of bottled minced garlic- maybe too much but I love garlic!)
2 28 oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes with juice ( I couldn't fine fir roasted and added regular)
4 cups of butternut squash, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 lb top round beef, cubed (I added more beans; 1 can black beans, and 1 can of kidney beans. Though, in the future, for the 3 cans of bean total I'll add 1 black, 1 kidney and 1 can of garbanzo bean as those three beans together provide you with a compleate protein profile- or so I've read :)
1 bay leaf (skipped)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano (skipped)
1/2 tsp black pepper (I added 1 tbs)
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp chilli powder (I added 2)
1/8 tsp cayanne pepper ( I added 1 tbs Mrs Dash salt free Extra Spicy Blend)
2 cups water

With a vegatable peeler I peeled the butternut squash of that tough outside and then diced it, removing seeds. I added the squash, beans, on the bottom of the slow cooker, then added the spices, seasonings, and water. I programed the cooker for 8 hours on low and turned it on when I went to bed. This morning I awoke to the smell of yummy chili!

I'm going to have this with some fast gf corn bread I made in the microwave! more on that later :)
Have a great day!

Tuna Salad with Sun-Dried Cranberries and Lemon

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:12:00 +0000

Tuna is a low-fat, high-protein food that can support your healthy body goals. Protein is a vital nutrient for anyone working out and trying to build muscle and improve thier metabolism, as it contains the amino acids your body uses to create muscle tissue. At nearly 40 grams of protein per can, tuna fish has all the essentials to be the perfect muscle building food. Tuna is low in fat, high in protein and an essential form of omega-3 fatty acids, which helps combat against heart disease and certain cancers and can lower cholesterol levels.
Tuna also can be super convenient and fast, as it comes in pouches and cans and does not require cooking. This is important for people trying to eat multiple small clean meals a day.

Try to keep your tuna in check though as consuming too much mercury (which can be found in tuna) has been linked to some health problem, mainly in young children and pregnant women. How much tuna is too much? The Environmental Protection Agency provides guidelines on how much canned tuna it is safe to eat based on your weight. Roughly speaking, the guidelines recommend one 6 oz. can of light tuna a week for those weighing less than 110 pounds and two cans a week for the rest of us.

I'm not s huge fan of tuna salads because creamy meat salads are just not my thing, however, a recent trip to whole foods introduced me to a cleaner version of tuna salad that I'm over the moon about. I've cleaned it up even more (less mayo and more lemon juice, honey instead of sugar) and its now a staple recipe at my house. Hope you enjoy it!
Tuna Salad with Sun-Dried Cranberries and Lemon

(derived from the likes of what you'll get at the Whole Foods deli :)
Makes about 4 servings at my house, but its all in how you use it!

2 cans solid white albacore tuna
2 tbs mayonnaise (I don't like to add too much fo this, but my husband likes 3-4 tbs- add to taste)
The juice of 1 fresh lemon
The zest of 1fresh lemon

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1/4 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoon coarsely chopped sun-dried cranberries
Pinch of sea salt

Directions: Zest, roll, and juice the lemon. Remove any seeds. Drain the tuna thoroughly. Combine all ingreadients and serve immeadiately. Tastes great on bread, riceckaes, on salad, and even in lettuce rolls with strips of red peppers and cucumbers... oh the list goes on! Enjoy!

picture from Poor girl eats well who also has another version of this recipe that looks super yummy: http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/2011/03/recipe-cranberry-almond-tuna-salad.html

Homemade Yogurt

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 12:37:00 +0000

2 weeks ago I read the article in Clean Eating Magazine about making your own yogurt. It seemed simple enough and the machines they were advertizing seemed easy to use and clean.

I loved the idea of not throwing away another plastic container everytime I ate yogurt (I always feel guilty about that and often keepthe large containers with lids to freeze things in), and I also loved the idea that I would know exactly what was in there- no preservatives, no sugar, no super fake flavorings or dyes...

But it's still pretty intimidating right? I'm not sure why, but I had images of candy thermometers and beakers in my mind. This had to be a more complicated process right? I wanted to know more so I googled homehade yogurt and what I found has become my obsession this last week...

Did you know you can not only make your own yogurt, but that you don't need to buy a fancy yogurt machine? I'm making mine in my crockpot and its the best tasting yogurt I've ever had! It's so easy! I found out making yogurt is a very forgiving process and I have yet to have a batch not work out perfectly.

What you'll need:

1/2 gallon of milk. Now heres the interesting part- it doesn't have to be cows milk. There are a bunch of people who report success with soy milk or goats milk and later this week I want to try it with almond or hazelnut milk... (note: don't use ultra pasturized milk- everyone says that won't work. I've used pasturized milk and that works just fine)

Starter another interesting ingredient- a starter is what introduces the live cultures this can be plain yogurt or a dried yogurt starter that you can easily buy on Amazon. Obviously if you want to make a lactose free batch you'll want to purchase the dried starter.

A crockpot

Containers (plastic or glass) for your finished yogurt!

Yip thats it.
Although- if you want to do more with your yogurt you may want cheese cloth, a fine mesh strainer or coffee filters, oh, and icecube trays- but more on that later...

How to make your own yogurt:
•Turn your crock pot to low and pour in 1/2 gallon of milk.

•Heat on low for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
•Once 2 hours and 30 minutes have elapsed turn your crock pot off and unplug it. Let the milk cool in the crockpot with the lid on for 3 hours.
•After 3 hours remove 1-2 cups of the warmed milk and place in a bowl. To that add 1/2 cup of yogurt with live active cultures and mix very well. Pour the yogurt-milk mixture back into the milk and whisk thoroughly. (I've also justwhisked it right to the crockpot and all was well- but these are how the instructions were written)
•Place the cover back on the crock and wrap the entire crock pot in a thick bath towel or two.
•Let it culture overnight, 8-12 hours.

Voila! Yogurt!
So a few notes about your new awesome batch of yogurt....

At this stage it can still be pretty runny- I liken the consistency to the drinkable yogurts that a lot of us are paying a ton of money for. If you like drinkable yogurt, add some flavoring (or don't- you'll see this is pretty good on its own) at this point and enjoy!

If you want a thicker yogurt set this in the fridge for another 8-12 hours and it will thicken up to normal yogurt consistancy. You can add flavoring at this point if you'd like.

Note: some people advocate adding powdered milk or gelatin to thicken the yogurt. The added powdered milk is a good idea if you're seeking to bulk up the protien content, and I'm sure the gelatin works fine too- but really I think people just need to have some patience. Let the yogurt rest and it will thicken, strain it for just a bit and you'll also get a thicker yogurt...

If you want greek style yogurt you'll want to strain your yogurt of whey in order to thicken it up. How long you strain will determine the consistancy. If you strain long enough you'll end up with...

Yogurt cheese. It's the consistancy of sour cream or crem fraiche. It's amazing and yummy and a super healthy substitude for butter or cream cheese.

But wait- what about this watery stuff we just strained out that you call whey? Whey is SUPER healthy for you. Whey is low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Thiamin, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc and Selenium, and a very good source of Riboflavin, Calcium and Phosphorus. 1 cup has 2 g protien and 59 calories. I get that you probably don't want a bottle of the stuff in your fridge, but freeze them in icecube trays and get a super healthy set of cubes for your next smoothie, or keep in liquid formand add to your next batch of soup or baked goods... I'm sure there are ton more ways to use whey- let me know if you can think of any...

Flavoring:
I of course want to keep it pretty natural. I like it plain, but my husband does not. He doen't think it tastes like anything but cream (which I think is a compliment!) but I digress... Try adding agave or honey- maple syrup would also be good. I've also used almond extract and vanilla. I imagine a touch of rose water and strawberries would be delicious too. I'm also going to use some fresh mint and try to make some labne this week...

The great thing about the yogurt I've been making is that it doesn't have the acidic taste that store bought plain yogurts can have. I'm not sure if its because I'm eating it when its really fresh or if its just a product of the plain yogurt starter I used...

It's plain yogurt, a blank canvas for flavor. If you try anything you particularly like let me know :)

OH! another important point!!! Save some of this batch to use as a starter for the next and you'll never have to buy starter yogurt again!!!

Also as a side note, my first batch I was still highly skeptical that whis was going to work so I made just half a batch by just cutting the recipe in half (4 cups milk and 1/4 cup plain yogurt for a starter). Instead of pouring the milk in the crockpot itself I put it in a pyrex bowl in the crockpot and proceded as the recipe instructed- it worked out great.

Update: I recently tried using a greek yogurt as a starter and it didn't work so well. I had to start the process over (with the same milk no less- I didn't want to throw it out and thought it would be an interesting science experiment if nothing else) and added regular yogurt. I think the process of draining out the whey also removed some of the bacteria needed- not sure, but thats my guess- so use plain regular yogurt- not greek style. The remade batch was a success. I told you the yogurt making process was fogiving!

for more on making crockpot yogurt go to these blogs; here here and here
and check out this blog more on yogurt cheese

Orange Chipotle Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 12:07:00 +0000

I'm not sure if you subscribe to Clean Eating Mag, but if you don't, you should. Below is a recipe from thier Feb 2011 issue that we decide to try last night out of frustration with trying to decide where to go out for dinner. We couldn't decide on a place that was both close and healthy (our nieghborhood has a horrible selection of resturants) so we compromised with a trip to the grocery store to try a new recipe.
We were shocked by how delicious this recipe is. Dinner conversation consisted of comments like "This is the best recipe!", "I can't believe how good this is!" and "I haven't had chicken this good in years".

We coupled it with a glass of OJ with frozen strawberries as ice cubes and slightly altered the rice recipe included by adding orange zest to the rice and sliced oranges as a side dish.

It's a recipe that will stay in rotation for years to come...

Pic of the pic in the magazine :) We ate ours too fast to even think of snapping a pic!

Orange Chipotle Chicken

Ingredients

1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt/Pepper
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 lb chicken breast, pounded to a 1/2 inch thick (helps the chicken cook quickly and evenly as well as giving you more surface space forhte spice rub.)
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp chopped chipotle peppers in adobo (available in the Hispanic aisle) (We used Goya's Chipotle Molido sauce)
1 tsp orange zest
2 cups cooked brown rice (I used Success instant brown rice pouches)
1/4 cup cilantro

Directions

Heat oil in a non stick skillet over medium high. Pound chicken to a 1/2 inch thick, mix chili powder, cumin and salt and season both sides of chicken. Cook chicken 3 minutes per side, remove from pan. Add orange juice and maple syrup to skillet, cook and reduce for about 1 minute. Add chopped chipotles in adobo sauce, the orange zest and place chicken back in pan, cook for another minute.

Combine cooked rice with the cilantro, a little bit of the adobo sauce and orange pieces. Serve chicken with the rest and the pan sauce.

Red Velvet Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:53:00 +0000

My Red Velvet Brownies
Recipe makeover of the Red Velvet Brownie Recipe by Vegatarian Times May/June 2010.

My adaptation cuts the calories, fat, carbs, and sugar in half while maintaining the moist, sweet, chocolately goodness that we all know and love about brownies :) The beets may be a suprising ingredient, but their sweetness and moisture are purfect for brownies.

Makes 16 brownies

2 large cooked beets or 1 14-oz. can beets, rinsed and drained *
1/2 cup plain yogurt **
1 cup slenda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour***
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbs. instant espresso powder**** (optional)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Purée beets in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. You should have about 1 cup. Set aside. Whisk together butter and sugar in bowl until smooth. Add vanilla, then whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in pureed beets. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and espresso powder in separate bowl. Fold flour mixture into beet mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Cool, then cut into 16 squares.

While warm, these taste amazing with fresh mint ice cream or go low cal with a dab of coolwhip with a balsamic reduction drizzled overtop!

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving :
Calories 72
Calories from Fat 24
Total Fat 2.7g 4%
Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%
Cholesterol 28mg 9%
Sodium 38mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 10.6g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1.5g 6%
Sugars 5.3g
Protein 2.8g
Vitamin A 1% • Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 3% • Iron 5%

Notes
* If you get a can with no salt added, drain and use the beet juice in a smoothie or mixed with OJ for breakfast- yummy :)
** VT used 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted. I prefer plain yogurt for added protien and creamyness, but you can save calories and make this dairy free by using applesauce- adds sweetness and moisture.
*** I used garbanzo bean flour to make this Gluten Free
**** I did not have espresso, so I ground coffee into a fine dust- worked great.

Additionally I'm going to try this recipe with the following alterations/additions in the future: Ground flax seed for added Omega 3's, a fat free cream cheese with diced fresh mint swirl, and when they're in season I think ading chopped fresh cherries will really take this over the top. It's a very versatile recipe and so low cal you can experiment with out the guilt!

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 13:55:00 +0000

Another high protien and totally satisfying meal are my Cottage Cheese Pancakes. I love these! They're great warm, but are also fine for a cold snack on the run. On sundays I'll make a double batch and save them in pairs in zip lock bags so I can grab a bag for a fast healthy breakfast on the run.

Oats, 1 cup
Egg, fresh, 3 large
Cottage Cheese, Nonfat, 1 cup (not packed)
Flavor as desired (see note below)
Water as needed

Mix in bowl and let the oats soak up some of the wetness and plump up just a bit while the pan is heating on a medium low heat. If the mix is a little dry and won't spoon easily, stir in some water. Make pancakes as usual, flipping when one side is brown. It's that easy, and they are so much tastier than regular pancakes! I bring these with me and eat them dry as a healthy, filling, and tasty snack! Great for a dose of quick high protien, low calorie meal!

Add Flavor: These are pretty bland on thier own, so you'll definately want to add some flavor. Add dashes of cardamon, cinnamon, splenda, ground ginger, cocoa, or nutmeg, or splashes of almond, orange, or vanilla extract as you wish. You can also mix in fresh berries or bananas... delicious!

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 113.9
Total Fat: 3.5 g
Cholesterol: 109.6 mg
Sodium: 162.0 mg
Total Carbs: 19.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.8 g
Protein: 9.8 g

Tuna Oat Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:40:00 +0000

When you're trying to lose weight and keep muscle mass its important to eat plenty of protien. In fact expert adn all natural body builder Tom Venuto, who wrote Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, recomends 25 grams for women and 30 grams for Men every 3 hours to build or maintain muscle while losing weight. if you don't eat enough protien when working out hard, your body is actually forced to canabalize existing muscle mass for the repair of the muscles damaged through excercise. (That damage is how you build muscle- you have to tear a muscle down and help it rebuild stronger than before)
I can eat only so many egg whites, chicken, or drink so many protien shakes. I'm always looking for innovative ways to enjoy lean meats. Tuna has not been on my list until now. Growing up tuna always meant this watery meat mixture of mayo and maybe, just maybe some, celery that was spread on bread in a goopy mess.Yuck. I hate those kind of tuna sandwhiches and I won't touch the stuff. But Tuna- sans mayo- offers so much in terms of nutrition, I had to think again about how to make this lean protien source tastey, portable, and healthy.
Introducing my tuna burger! It's been a big hit at my house- hoepfully you'll like it too!
Leave me a note if you try it!

Tuna Oat Burgers
Another original recipe from me!

Enjoy as a burger, or bring them as easy to go protien for your busy day! Accompanies salads well too!
10 Minutes to Prepare and Cook

2 cans of Tuna in water, drained ( 8 oz of meat)
Oats, 1 cup
Egg, fresh, 3 large
Celery, raw, 1 cup, diced
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chili powder, 1 tsp

Directions
Mix ingreadients in bowl, form patties with hands, and cook on medum heat. Flip and brown on both sides.
You can also add in chipotle sauce, Mrs Dash chipotle and Lime seasoning, or chopped Jalepeno peppers to spice it up!

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 136.6
Total Fat: 3.8 g
Cholesterol: 117.6 mg
Sodium: 569.3 mg
Total Carbs: 18.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.3 g
Protein: 14.7 g

Whey Crepes

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:21:00 +0000

Whey Crepes
My own original recipe :)
(though I'm sure someone has thought of these before...)

Number of Servings: 3

Image from slashfood.com

1 scoop of Whey Protien Powder (I use Vanilla by Body Fortress which has 26 grams of protien per scoop- but I bet chocolate would taste good too...)

3 medium eggs
2 tbsp (28 grams) of flour ( I use GF flour)

Blend/mix ingreadients together. Add flavor by mixing in vanilla or almond extract, cinnamon, ginger- whatever you like- all are low or no calorie options that make a big difference in terms of flavor. Pour a thin layer of the batter on a pre warmed skillet. Just like a pancake, once it starts to get a few bubbles its ready to flip. Cook both sides (like a large thin pancake!) and enjoy with sugar free jam, fresh fruit, yogurt or a fat free cream cheese! Yummy!!!

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 3
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 143.8
Total Fat: 5.2 g
Cholesterol: 206.9 mg
Sodium: 77.5 mg
Total Carbs: 8.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.1 g
Protein: 15.4 g

Celery Salads

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:32:00 +0000

Celery, Walnut, and Parmesan Salad
This salad offers textural treats—crunchy celery, meaty walnuts, and crystalline cheese. Because the salt draws water out of the celery, it's best to serve this simple salad shortly after tossing the ingredients together.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Ingredients:
5 cups thinly sliced celery (about 1 pound)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) finely diced Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. It's just that easy!

Green apple and celery salad with mustard vinnegrette

Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
5 teaspoons honey
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large bunch celery with leaves
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, cored; each quarter cut into 2 wedges, then thinly sliced crosswise into triangle shapes
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped

Preparation
Whisk first 3 in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
Trim celery leaves and chop enough to measure 1 cup. Thinly slice stalks on deep diagonal. Place celery pieces in bowl of cold water. (Vinaigrette, celery leaves, and celery pieces can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)
Drain celery; pat dry with paper towels. Combine celery, celery leaves, apples, and walnuts in large bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.

Take your flax or fish oil pills...

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:33:00 +0000

As if we needed another reason to eat delicious healthy foods like Flax, Salmon, and walnuts, we now have more proof of what Omega 3 fatty acids can do for us and why...

Scientists figure out what makes fish oil so good for you
as found here.

LA Times
September 02, 2010
You’ve probably heard of omega-3 fatty acids, the nutrients that make fish oil so healthy. You may even have heard of particular ones, such as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) or EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). But unless you’re one of the scientists who worked on a study being published in Friday’s edition of the journal Cell, you surely have no idea why omega-3 fatty acids are so good at tamping down inflammation and enhancing sensitivity to insulin. The study is rather dense, so we’ll do our best to boil it down for you.

Researchers from UC San Diego, Tethys Bioscience of West Sacramento, and Shiga University of Medical Science in Japan figured out that omega-3s stimulate an important cell signaling molecule known as GPR120. This molecule is particularly popular in fat cells. It’s also abundant in a type of white blood cells that promote inflammation. Normally, inflammation helps the immune system do its job, but when inflammation becomes chronic it can lead to problems like insulin insensitivity.
When normal mice ate a high-fat diet, they gained weight. That extra fat triggered chronic inflammation and caused the mice to have trouble responding to insulin, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes. But after having their chow supplemented with omega-3s, the fatty acids took care of the inflammation and the mice were able to respond normally to insulin once again.
To prove that GPR120 was the key to this chain of events, they repeated the same experiment in mice that were genetically manipulated so they couldn’t make the molecule. Like the normal mice, they gained weight on the high-fat diet. But the addition of omega-3s did nothing to alleviate their symptoms.
It may be awhile before scientists are able to use these findings to come up with a drug or supplement that would make people healthier. One possibility is to develop a small molecule that does an even better job of activating GPR120, they said.

Comfort food: Mashed Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:15:00 +0000

Few things say “comfort food” like mashed potatoes. Traditional mashed potato recipes are made with loads of butter, cream and salt, making them terribly bad for us. But you're reading a recipe blog from a girl who grew up in Idaho. I know my potatoes. They can very easily be made over into really healthy dishes. Potatoes carry flavor really well, and you dont need one drop of butter to make them taste good. So don’t pass on the mashed potatoes—make these healthier mashed potato recipes instead!

First off, Easy Mashed Potato Addins/Toppings:
There are many easy ways to kick upthe interesting on mashed potatoes. Here are a few ways I'll add variety to your regular recipe:

After mashing, add garlic and paremesean cheese.
Use a variety of potatoes together. We often use russet and sweet, or red and sweet...

Add other veggies! Boil with diced carrots, spinach, zucchini beets, turnips, or broccoli- any veggie really- get creative. Boil and mash together. An easy and amazing way to add vitamins and color to your dish. I personally love spinach and garlic, or beet, garlic, and salt (and a lovely rose color). (Can you tell I love garlicky potatoes?)
Skip the gravy. Lets face it gravy is not healthy. I can't think of one healthy gravy. Prove me wrong, but I can't. Instead try these ideas for a variety of toppings : Carmelized onions, crushed walnuts, red pepper flakes, cottage cheese, sptitz of lemon and black peppercorns...

Sweet Potato Mash

soo easy I'm not even going to take the tiem to write this out recipe style. Just boil diced sweet potatoes. mash. season with jsut salt and peper or add some tang with chillipowder, cinnamon, and sea salt. They are amazing and will soon take the center stage for anytime you're craving mashed potatoes...

Kale & Potato Hash

8 cups torn kale leaves, (about 1/2 large bunch; see Tip)

2 tablespoons horseradish

1 medium shallot, minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups cooked shredded potatoes, (see Ingredient note)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Place kale in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and finely chop. Meanwhile, mix horseradish, shallot, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add the chopped kale and potatoes; stir to combine. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the kale mixture, spread into an even layer and cook, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes and returning the mixture to an even layer, until the potatoes begin to turn golden brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes total.

Tips & Notes: A 1- to 1 1/2-pound bunch of kale yields 16 to 24 cups of chopped leaves.When preparing kale for these recipes, remove the tough ribs, chop or tear the kale as directed, then wash it--allowing some water to cling to the leaves. The moisture helps steam the kale during the first stages of cooking.

Ingredient Note: Fresh, partially cooked, shredded potatoes for hash browns can be found in the refrigerated produce section and sometimes in the dairy section of most supermarkets. Alternatively, boil potatoes until they can just be pierced with a fork but are not completely tender. Let cool slightly, then shred.

NutritionPer serving: 240 calories; 12 g fat (2 g sat, 8 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 5 g fiber; 244 mg sodium; 651 mg potassium.

Oven "Fries"

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into wedges

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss potato wedges with oil, salt and thyme (if using). Spread the wedges out on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until browned and tender, turning once, about 20 minutes total.

NutritionPer serving: 102 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 291 mg sodium; 405 mg potassium.

Spicy Chipotle Roasted Potatoes

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or red potatoes, scrubbed (peeled, if desired), and cut into 1-inch wedges

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (see Note), or 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Combine oil, paprika, salt, garlic powder and ground chipotle (or chili powder) in a large bowl. Add potatoes; toss to coat with the seasoning mixture. Spread the potatoes evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are tender and browned, 25 to 35 minutes.

Tips & Notes

Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeño peppers. Ground chipotle chile pepper can be found in the specialty spice section of most supermarkets.

NutritionPer serving: 182 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 294 mg sodium; 945 mg potassium.

Mashed Roots with Buttermilk & Chives

2 pounds celery root, (celeriac), peeled (see Tip) and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound rutabaga, peeled (see Tip) and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

5 cloves garlic, peeled

3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)(more if dry)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup snipped fresh chives

Preparation

Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a large pan or Dutch oven. Place celery root, rutabaga and potatoes in a large steamer basket over the water, cover and steam over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Add garlic and continue steaming. checking the water level and replenishing as necessary until the vegetables are fall-apart tender, 20 minutes more. Remove the vegetables, drain the cooking liquid and return the vegetables to the pan. Add 2 tablespoons butter and mash until chunky-smooth. Gradually stir in buttermilk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Just before serving, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and chives.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2 and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in a double boiler and stir in the remaining butter and chives (Step 3) just before serving. To peel celery root and rutabaga, cut off one end to create a flat surface to keep it steady. Cut off the skin with your knife, following the contour of the root. Or use a vegetable peeler and peel around the root at least three times to ensure all the fibrous skin has been removed.

No buttermilk? You can make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

Nutrition Per serving: 173 calories; 6 g fat (4 g sat, 0 g mono); 15 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 4 g fiber; 289 mg sodium; 826 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (35% daily value), Potassium (22% dv)

1.5 Carbohydrate Serving, Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat

Gluten Free Bulge Free Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:52:00 +0000

I love Oxygen Magazine. They always have at least one recipe inside that makes a little voice inside my head scream "Why didn't I think of that?!?!?" My favorite recipe this month was their bulge free brownies.
Who doesn't love brownies? Seriously- they are delicious- but the guilt alone can keep a girl away. Until now that is! This recipe utilizes black beans, whey protein, and tofu- all nutrition powerhouses- to make delicious brownies with NO sugar and NO flour! Amazing!

Bulge-Free Brownies
from Oxygen Magazine September 2010
Volume 13 Issue #9

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
3 whole eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz package extra-firm tofu
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp canola oil
1/3 c. pure maple syrup
3/4 c (3 scoops) chocolate whey protein powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp sea salt

Blend black beans in the food processor. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and blend to combine.

Combine dry ingredients, and add to the wet ingredients, then blend until smooth. Pour batter into a greased 8 x 8 baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
NOTE: Though the recipe in the magazine said to bake 30 min, I had to bake for nearly an hour.
Number of Servings: 16

The Lychee

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:52:00 +0000

I've had lychee's from a can. I've had them in baked desserts, martini's, smoothies, and icecream. I've even had a lychee truffle. But until today, I've never had a fesh lychee.

Lychee (Litchi chinensis) aka: Litchi, Laichi, and Lichu are small oval shaped fruits with a thin leather-like outer skin, and a white inner flesh surrounding a single large brown seed. Lychees have a very sweet fragrant taste with a tender texture.. Describing a lychee as an exotic fruit almost feels like an understatement. Even the seed and the skin felt too beautiful to throw away. (Yes, I still have the seed sitting on my desk. It'm fantasizing about growing my own lychee tree. how silly would that be?)

Lychees are moderate in calories (66 calories for 100g) and an extremely good source of vitamin C. Moderate amounts of lychees are believed to relieve coughing, and perhaps even stomach ulcers. Not sure if thats true, but they taste so good I'll believe the hype.
How to choose: Lychees are more likely to be fresh when they are sold still attached to the stem. It can be difficult to spot lychees which are over ripe, so it is best to ask for a sample. If you see a slimy mucous when you peel back the skin, then the lychees are too ripe and should not be bought. Also, avoid any lychees with indentions as this is a sign of rotting.
How to store: Keep lychees on their stem as long as possible and store them in the fridge. Lychees will only keep about a week, so they should be eaten quickly.

Zucchini

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:07:00 +0000

It's getting to be that time of year when zucchini takes over. I remember growing up that the running joke was not to leave your car unlocked because if you did your car would be full of zucchini when you got back becuase everyone had so much of it pouring out of thier gardens that they couldn't even give the stuff away.

So here are a handful of recipes that uses zuchini for every aspect of your meal...

Pesto-Topped Grilled Summer Squash

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, (see Tip)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 medium summer squash, (about 1 pound), sliced diagonally 1/4 inch thick
Canola or olive oil cooking spray
Preheat grill to medium-high. Combine basil, pine nuts, oil, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl. Coat both sides of squash slices with cooking spray. Grill the squash until browned and tender, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve topped with the pesto.
Tip: To toast pine nuts, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Parmesan-Squash Cakes
From EatingWell: July/August 2009
1 large egg
2/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups shredded seeded summer squash, (2-3 medium, about 1 pound; see Tip)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Beat egg in a large bowl. Stir in shallots, parsley, salt and pepper. Place shredded squash in the center of a clean kitchen towel; gather up the ends and twist to squeeze out any liquid. Add the squash and cheese to the bowl; stir to combine.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pack a 1/3-cup measuring cup with the squash mixture and unmold it into the pan; gently pat it down to form a 3-inch cake. Repeat, making 4 squash cakes. Cook until browned and crispy on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently turn the cakes over and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Tip: To remove the seeds from summer squash, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. To shred the squash, use the large-holed side of a box grater.
Nutrition
Per serving: 130 calories; 8 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 62 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 1 g fiber; 322 mg sodium; 406 mg potassium.

Mary's Zucchini with Parmesan
From EatingWell: August/September 2005
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds zucchini, (about 4 medium), sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, (1 ounce)
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and cook, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, until tender and most of the slices are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, sprinkle with salt and pepper; stir to combine. Sprinkle with cheese, cover and cook until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Per serving: 82 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 5 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 204 mg sodium; 594 mg potassium.

Golden Summer Squash & Corn Soup
From EatingWell: July/August 2009
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 medium summer squash, (about 1 pound), diced
3 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme or oregano, divided
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh corn kernels, (from 1 large ear; see Tip)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add squash and 1 teaspoon herbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash starts to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add broth and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the squash is soft and mostly translucent, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Return the soup to the pan and stir in corn. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender, 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon juice. Serve garnished with the remaining 2 teaspoons herbs and feta.
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Kitchen Tip: To remove corn from the cob, stand an uncooked ear of corn on its stem end in a shallow bowl and slice the kernels off with a sharp, thin-bladed knife. If making a soup, after cutting off the kernels, you can reverse the knife and use the dull side to press down the length of the ear to push out the rest of the corn and its milk.
Nutrition
Per serving: 111 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 462 mg sodium; 497 mg potassium.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 c. brown sugar Splenda
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. coconut
6 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 c. nuts
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. applesauce
1 c. zucchini, shredded
Beat wet ingreadients together. Add all dry ingredients and oatmeal; mix until smooth. Add coconut, chips, nuts and zucchini; mix well. Drop by spoonfuls (same as chocolate chip cookies) on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Frozen Chocolate-Covered Bananas

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Frozen Chocolate-Covered Bananas

These are so easy, and are actually a pretty healthy treat if you're smart about the toppings. I keep to dark chocolate, but any will do...

12 wooden popsicle sticks
4 large ripe bananas, peeled and cut into thirds crosswise
3/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, or other chocolate, melted (see Tip)
1/4 cup shredded coconut, chopped nuts, dried fruit, or other toppings...

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Insert a popsicle stick into the cut end of each banana half. Freeze for one hour. Cover each piece of banana with melted chocolate using a rubber spatula or dippingin to bowl or glass with melted chocolate, and sprinkle with coconut. (Reheat chocolate, as needed, to keep it melted.) Place the covered bananas on the baking sheet and freeze until frozen, about 2 hours. Store in airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 week.

TIP: To melt chocolate, microwave on Medium for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving on Medium, stirring every 10-20 seconds, until melted. Or place chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir until melted.

Per serving (just bananas, chocolate, and coconut- basic recipe): 100 calories; 4 g fat (3 g sat, 1 g mono); 6 g added sugars; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 7 mg sodium; 207 mg potassium.

Wheat free almost Sugar free chocolate chip cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 12:33:00 +0000

I've been craving cakey chocolate chip cookies something fierce lately so I gave in and created this recipe...

1/2 c butter
1/2 c applesauce
splash of agave
splash of vanilla
1 c splenda
1/4 c shredded coconut
1 3/4 c flour *
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 egg
3/4 c chocolate chips *
spices per taste- I always add a dash of cinnamon & cardamon to compliment baked goods with chocolate...

Preheat to 350. Cream butter, splenda, agave, egg, vanilla, and applesauce together. In a separate bowl mix the rest of the ingreadients. Combine and mix well. Spoon out on cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. (closer to 18 minutes if you're at sea level like I am...)
Enjoy!

* I use a homeamde GF flour made with lentils, black beans, and brown rice. Any GF flour will do, and wheat flour will as well if you don't need gf. Additionally if you do need gf, I recently learned that most chocolate chips are not GF, so try carob or look for special chocolate chips...
** I say almost sugar free becaue the chocolate chips, coconut and applesauce has sugar, however, these cookies have significantly less sugar than your average cookie...

Prickly Pears

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:31:00 +0000

My modus operandi is that I post about food I regularly buy and use, and write about different ways to use the same ingredients for interesting dishes.
Today I'm posting about a food I've never bought before today and starting a new section in the ZZZ Labels on this blog called "Taste Adventures". I love trying new foods, especially new fruits and veggies that I've never tried before.

Today while cruising a new market in Harlem, I found a fruit I'd seen before but had no idea what it was. there was no sign stating its name, only a price tag. $1.29. Not bad for an adventure, so I bought it and brought it back to my desk to cut it (yes, I have a purple Kuhn Rikon Swiss knife at my desk with its own blade cap. One might say its not a great idea to keep a knife at work, but I really do use it daily, and it has come in handy for cutting the occasional staff member birthday cake). Inside was magenta flesh with little black seeds. I spooned out a few bites and set out around the office to see what kind of fruit I was eating. Someone had to recognize it right? No one did, until I ran into our chef (I work at the Harlem Children's Zone, a non profit that runs programs for youth and two charter schools. Our chef is in charge of one of the schools kitchens. Our administration office is on the top floors of the school and happens to have rooftop garden to support healthy eating at our school where he was coming in from just as I was searching for fruit identification). He instantly recognized it and I had my fruits name.
Cactus pear.
Or Prickly pear or cactus fruit or tuna fruit or... well the list goes on.
Known to few, the fruit of the nopales cactus (cacti with beaver tail-like paddles), are actually quite edible. Perhaps most ofted prickly pears, these neon fruit provide delicious juice that tastes like a cross between all-natural bubblegum (if indeed there is such a thing) and watermelon. Prickly pear juice is often used to make jam or candy, but works wonders in cocktails and used in vinaigrettes for salads. Many Mexican markets, farmers markets, and some natural food supermarkets carry prickly pears, but you can find these plants growing in California, the Southwest, Mexico, and the Mediterranean. Be warned though, while the ones in markets have been cleaned of the tiny hair-like thorns, the ones fresh off the cactus are covered with them, so be sure to handle them with heavy leather work gloves and scrub them hard to ensure all the painful little barbs are off. Either way, handle them carefully just in case. (I have so far encountered four very irritating thorns that resemble microsopic hairs in my fingers and my fruit seems to have been scrubbed clean so watch out.)
Checkout this website for information on how to cut and eat a prickly pear and for links to recipes or it.
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_cut_and_prepare_prickly_pears/

How did it taste? lovely! This was a very fun taste adventure :)

Kale- I love this leaf...

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:27:00 +0000

Kale is an amazing food. You should eat lots and lots and lots of it. Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties and is anti-inflammatory. Kale is among the most nutrient-dense vegetables. One cup provides 1,327 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin K, 192 percent of DV for vitamin A, and 88 percent for vitamin C. Kale is also very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Because of its high vitamin K content, patients taking anti-coagulants such as Coumadin are encouraged to avoid this food since it increases the vitamin K concentration in the blood, which is what the drugs are often attempting to lower. This effectively raises the effective dose of the drug. Kale, as with Broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties, expecially when cut in a chiffonade style or minced very fine.

Simple Raw Kale Salad

1 lb kale (or collard greens)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced. Adjust to taste.
1/2 teaspoon salt
Remove kale stems and tear greens into smallish pieces. Pour olive oil on top and "massage" gently for several minutes, getting the greens good and soft. THIS STEP IS CRITICAL!! Add minced garlic (careful with quantity as this will be served raw, so the garlic will remain in all of it's spicy glory- I love raw garlic, so I tend go over board) and salt and toss lightly to distribute. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for several hours. If you go over board with the garlic the first time (like I did) this works wonderfully on top of a bed of greens to help neutralize it. Remember raw garlic is spicy!! I have tried collard greens with great success. Mustard Greens, not so much.
Tuscan Kale Salad
4-6 cups kale, loosely packed, sliced leaves of Italian black (Lacinato, "dinosaur," cavolo nero) midribs removed
juice of 1 lemon
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, mashed
salt & pepper, to taste
hot red pepper flakes, to taste
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Toscano, Asiago, or Parmesan
1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs from lightly toasted bread ( I omit these)
Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch (or more to taste) of hot red pepper flakes. Pour over kale in serving bowl and toss well. Add 2/3 of the cheese and toss again.
Let kale sit for at least 5 minutes. Add bread crumbs, toss again, and top with remaining cheese.

Garlicky Wilted Kale (with a dash of Nutmeg)
Serves 2 to 4

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 pieces garlic, minced
2 bunches kale, cleaned, stemmed & torn into pieces
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Heat oil over medium in a large dutch oven. Add garlic. Saute until it begins to turn brown.
Add kale, tossing to coat with oil and garlic. You may need to do this in batches, allowing one batch to wilt slightly before adding the next. Once all of the kale is slightly wilted, add 1/2 cup chicken broth. Turn heat to medium-high and cook for about 1-2 minutes, until liquid cooks off. When it has, add remaining 1/2 cup broth, cover, turn heat to medium-low, and let cook for about 20 minutes, until kale is tender. Uncover and turn heat to medium. Cook for 1-2 minutes, allowing most of excess liquid to cook off. Add nutmeg and vinegar. Cook just a few more minutes, until sauce cooks down to a nice coating.

Kale chips

(adapted from a recipe from Bon Appétit)
These light and crunchy kale chips that are a perfect “movie-night” snack.

1 big handfull or small bunch of Kale, rinsed, dried, cut lengthwise in half. cut out stems. (they can be bitter and hard to chew.)
1 -2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste.
parmesean cheese to sprinkle ontop to taste
(I used 1 tablespoon granulated garlic with parsley on half on my batch.)

Preheat oven to 300°F.
Toss kale with oil in large bowl or zip lock bag. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and parmesean. Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment or Silpat mats. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes for flat leaves and up to 40 minutes for wrinkled leaves. (I like them when they get alittle brown)
Transfer leaves to rack to cool. When cool, transfer to an airtight container.
Eat, enjoy and repeat.

The Urban Vegan

noreply@blogger.com (Mindy) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:06:00 +0000

I just bought this book about a month ago, and I love it sooo much. It's full of amazing healthy vegan recipes! The author, Dynise Balcavage, lives in Philly and is and avid traveler so her recipes are informed by her exotic adventures.
She has a section in her introduction about the "tyranny of the recipe". I could not agree more. Cooking should be an experience, a conversation, if you will allow me such an odd notion, with the food you are working with. Most people don't get this, Dynise does. She encourages you to improvise to your hearts content. That said, she provides excellent recipes that are easy to follow and easy to experiment with.
Now, why would you need a vegan cooking book if you're not vegan? I love vegan cookbooks because there is an inherant respect for the diversity and breadth of what you can do with plant based foods. Lets face it- most carnivourous cookbooks don't do much more with veggies than pat some butter or some garlic on them and call them done. It's so borring!
Vegan and vegatarian chefs are not just creative, they are mindful. You don't have to use a ton of ingreadients to make plants taste good- you just need to learn how to use them and allow the amazing flavors to come out. The more vegan recipes I make the better I am with understanding how different plants can be used. And that my friends is the essence of learning how to cook- to get to that place where you are familiar enough with the ingreadients to escape the tyrany of the recipe...
The recipes in this book are diverse and delicious. Most of the recipes call for ingreadients you would already have on hand or that are inexpensive and easy to get. ther are a few recipes that I would have to make a special purchase of ingreadients to make, but I don't mind that. They aren't exotic, just something I don't already have in my pantry. Like parsnips or plantains- I've never cooked with parsnips before but I'm excited to try!
Here is a sampling of some of the recipes from this book I'm planning to try this summer;

Crepes with Almond Sauce and Fresh Raspberries
Chai
Chocolate Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Smoked Paprika Hummus
Foil Roasted Beets with Wasabi Vinaigrette
Chickpea Chilli Burgers
Pan Fried Plantians
Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins
Sweet Potato Salad
Raw Slaw ( made this for the wedding and it was huge hit!)
Chocolate Chipotle Chili
Risotto Milanese
Parsnips St. Jacques
Creamy Avocado Salad Dressing
Acorn Squash with Pecan Cherry Stuffing
Porchini Ravioli
Marsala Mushroom Crepes
Easy Passion Fruit Mousse
Chocolate Covered Ginger
Lemon Kiwi Sorbet

And there are sooo many more recipes- tons of soups, sauces, and mouthwatering desserts... adn for those so inclined she teaches you hwo to make yoru own mock meats. a pretty nifty trick :)
Anyway check this book out- you won't regret it!