healthy snack: vacation inspired granola bar recipe

First day back from any vacation is always the hardest, especially from a relaxing one. (Meaning mostly spent by the poolside or under an umbrella at the beach, sipping cool drinks). The funny thing was, while I wondered what to post on my blog at the start the week after a vacation, I came across the perfect recipe to make the transition and bring a little of the island back with me.

Tropical Chewy Granola Bars
Makes 12-16 bars

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. chia seeds + 6 Tbsp. water
2 cups / 200g rolled oats (certified gluten-free if possible)
½ cup / 150g raw buckwheat groats
1 cup / 50g coconut flakes
¾ cup / 100g macadamia nuts, chopped
60g / 2 oz. dried banana, chopped (or Medjool dates)
60g / 2 oz. dried mango, chopped
¼ cup / 60ml coconut oil
1/3 cup / 80ml honey (or maple syrup)
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 tsp. extract)
2 very ripe bananas
½ tsp. coarse sea salt

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine chia seeds and water to make a gel. Set aside.
2. Spread the oats, buckwheat, coconut and macadamia nuts out on a baking sheet and place in a 300°F / 150°C oven. Stir every 5 minutes or so, until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
3. While the oat mixture is toasting, make the liquid. In a small saucepan combine coconut oil, honey, and vanilla. Whisk over low-medium heat until melted and thoroughly combined.
4. In a food processor or blender, blend peeled bananas with the honey and oil mixture. Blend until smooth. Pulse in chia gel gently, just to combine>
5. In a large mixing bowl combine toasted oat mixture, sea salt, and chopped dried fruit. Pour in the liquid and stir well to combine.
6. Turn the oven up to 350°F / 175°C. Spread a large piece of parchment paper in a 8” x 8” (20 x 20 cm) baking pan, overlapping the sides. Pour the granola bar mixture into the pan and press down firmly with a spatula, especially in the corners. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden on top and around the edges.
7. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes. To take the granola slab out of the pan, simply lift up the sides of the parchment. Place on a flat surface and cut into rectangles or squares (12-16, depending on the size). Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Best if kept cold, as this prevents the bars from crumbling.

{photo and recipe credit: click here}

 

how do you make your cake?

I love cupcakes and occasionally a slice of cake and although I consume either in moderation, I often wonder what is the best fat to add to my recipe.  Just to clarify the confusion, I am referring to butter, oil, shortening or margarine.

It was interesting, when I came across this amazing blog and while scrolling through the contents, I found  the answer or perhaps not. You be the judge and please do share  – how do you make your cake?

{Click here for photo and article credit}

san francisco gem: the ferry building

I love it when friends show up in town unannounced and beg to spend a day with you.  I really mean it, I do love it, even though it throws me pleasantly off schedule (If that makes sense).

Anyway, I got the word my friends were in town at ten in the morning and asked them to meet me at the end of Market Street at noon for lunch.  When I asked, what they wanted to eat, they mentioned Sandwich shops and fast food and I basically rolled my eyes.

I pointed to the Ferry Building and asked if they had been there and they both shook their heads NO and so we ventured into one of our proudest conversion of a historic building into an amazing waterfront hangout.

healthy eating – not just as a new year resolution

While in my twenties, I have to say I had no worries about eating healthy, nor in moderation. I was able to eat and maintain my size 4 figure for decades,  so of course when I hit 40 I figured I was still one of the lucky ones who could eat whatever she wanted to and stay thin and healthy, until of course I developed high blood pressure and other health concerns which got me to re-think my eating habits.

In the last two years, I’ve been on a crusade to find the best possible recipes and menus to follow just so I could, not only maintain my weight, but also ensure, all my health issues are under control.

What I got sucked into during the time was following an accelerated and pre-packaged diet plans and  although I lost weight, I didn’t do it the (very) healthy way I wanted to. I won’t mention what didn’t really work for me, but from all the aggressive dieting I not only gained the weight back, but my blood pressure went  through the roof due to the amount of salt intake in the meal plans.

What I discovered thorough research is that I needed to follow a  more  streamlined and regimented process of eating fresh and home cook meals to achieve the results I am ultimately going to feel good about.  So, I’ve signed up with this program to follow a nutritionist’s guide to losing weight.

I am motivated, committed and driven to follow through the program and  I’m hoping to share with you my weekly progress and the recipes which I have adapted into my diet and hopefully by 30June2013, I can actually report that I have my weight and health issues completely under control.

comfort food: french toast bread pudding

Technically we are only a few days away from the official start of winter.  Which means much more colder weather and less of a desire to eat healthy. I don’t know about you, but I currently am always looking for comfort food, in moderation of course, to fuel me up during the day .

In light of that fact, I found this amazing recipe here for bread pudding, one  of my favorite winter comfort foods and thought of making it over the weekend with a few alteration.   I will use Almond Milk (Original flavor) and add pecans and sliced banana and I will let you know how it turns out.

Meanwhile let me know if you have other suggestions.

French Toast Bread Pudding 

1 challah loaf, sliced ¾ inch thick
8 extra-large eggs
5 cups half-and-half or milk
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Confectioners’ sugar and pure maple syrup, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the bread in two layers in a 9 × 13 × 2-inch baking dish, cutting the bread to fit the dish. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, honey, orange zest, vanilla, and salt. Pour the mixture over the bread and press the bread down. Allow to soak for 10 minutes.

Place the baking dish in a larger roasting pan and add enough very hot tap water to the roasting pan to come an inch up the side of the baking dish. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil, tenting it so the foil doesn’t touch the pudding. Make two slashes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes, remove the aluminum foil, and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes, until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

With a small sieve, dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar and serve hot in squares with maple syrup on the side.

healthy recipe: fig, ricotta and hazelnut hors d’oeuvres

There are evenings, when I come home from work, I don’t necessarily want to have dinner or even bother with making one, so I open a bottle of red wine and put together something quick to pair it up with and voila it’s dinner. (I don’t recommend this if you have small children in the house )

Anyway, here is an easy recipe I found here and I must say it is heavenly and a wonderful pairing with a bottle of red wine on those evenings when you need to have an out of the norm experience.

Grilled Fig, Hazelnut and Ricotta Crostinis
Ingredients:
1 cup part skim ricotta
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon hazelnuts, lightly toasted
1/2 cup honey, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
10-12 fresh figs (mission or kadota or whatever is local), cut in half lengthwise
1/2 French or sourdough baguette, sliced into ½ inch slices and lightly toasted
1. Place ricotta, hazelnuts, 1/4 cup honey, and ground cinnamon in a food
processor and process until smooth. Set aside.

2. Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Brush figs with oil and place cut
side down onto the hot surface and grill on each side for 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool, about 5-7 minutes.

3. To assemble: Spread 1-2 tablespoons ricotta mixture onto each crostini and
top with a grilled fig; finish with a drizzle of honey and serve.

{for photo and recipe credit, please click here} 

healthy eats: butternut squash, black beans and goat cheese tostada

I love the fact, most of us Californians have adapted to healthy eating habits and for that, we are constantly looking for ways to boost the traditional cultural meals introduced  to us, throughout our state.

Mexican food is one type of cuisine guaranteed to be a favorite around this part of the country, so when I discover a creative healthy recipe to replace the more  traditional one, I share it.

Roasted Chipotle Butternut Squash, Black Beans, and Goat Cheese Tostadas
Ingredients
2 cups ¼” cubed butternut squash
1 medium red onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 teaspoon crushed dried chipotle peppers
¼ teaspoon salt
————————
½ cup black beans, rinsed and drained if using canned
Juice from half a lime
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
————————
4 corn tortillas
2-3 ounces goat cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425˚.
2. Roughly dice onion and toss with cubed butternut squash. Combine olive oil, 1 teaspoon crushed chipotle peppers, and salt. Add to butternut squash and toss again to coat. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until squash is tender and beginning to brown.
3. In a bowl, combine black beans, lime juice, honey, and olive oil. Once squash is done, add to black beans and stir. Spoon squash and black bean mixture on to corn tortillas and sprinkle with goat cheese.
4. Place tortillas in the oven and let bake until the goat cheese is browning and the tortillas is crisp, 10-15 minutes.
Recipe and photo by Naturally Ella

healthy eating: israeli or mediterranean salad – a twist to salsa and chips

I took a couple of days off to run inland just to see sun and visit with a  very special person in my life. The only trouble going from 50degree foggy weather to a 102degree muggy hot dry weather is that I, not only don’t want to do anything, but I also don’t want to eat.

So to solve the eating dilemma, the first thing we do was go to the market and buy fruits and vegetables to make salads , which would last us throughout my visit plus a couple of days more.  Before the market and while I waited for her to wake up in the morning,  I scrolled through my favorite recipes to see what I want to try next. I came across this recipe and decided to try it. It reminds me of fresh salsa, which I love to eat with tortilla chips. So what I plan to do is, instead of tortilla chips,  eat them with toasted pita chips to stay in tune with the mediterranean theme.

Israeli Salad 

Try to find small Persian cucumbers, as they are juicier and have a more concentrated flavor than the common “jet-puffed” supermarket cucumbers.

David’s Note: Maya calls for either cilantro or parsley, you could take it in a different direction perhaps with some fresh mint, chives, or a bit of tarragon. I’ve had salads like this in Greece, and other Middle Eastern countries (and even in America) where the locals adopt the idea and name it after their own country. Of course, this salad can be scaled up accordingly, to feed a larger group.

1 ripe tomato

1 medium cucumber, or 3 small ones
1 medium carrot, peeled
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
5 red globe radishes
half a small beet, peeled
half a small kohlrabi, peeled
large handful of arugula (lettuce can be substituted)
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro

2/3 cup mixed nuts and seeds (such as walnuts, sliced almonds, pine nuts, pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds – coarsely chopped)

1/3 cup crumbled Feta or firm goat cheese

2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (or more)
2-3 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil (or more)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Chop all of the vegetables into the tiniest cubes you can manage. Preferably 1/4 inch thick (or Brunoise, as the French call it). Gather the arugula into a tight bunch and slice into thin shards. This makes the salad fluffier and easier to chew.

2. Toast the nuts in an empty skillet (no oil required) over medium heat, stirring or shaking the pan frequently, taking care not to burn them (watch out for pumpkin seeds, as they tend to ‘pop’ while toasting). Toast until the aroma is released and the nuts take on the slightest bit of color. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. In a medium bowl, mix all of the chopped vegetables with sliced arugula, toasted nuts, and dress with the lemon juice, olive oil, adding salt and pepper to taste (don’t forget that the cheese is salty).

Check for seasoning and add more lemon juice and olive oil to your liking. Top with the crumbled cheese and serve immediately

healthy recipe: grilled kale ricotta and plum salad

I love fruit, especially summer fruit, so when I stumbled upon this recipe, I grabbed the listed ingredients from one of the many San Francisco farmer’s markets and now am anxiously waiting for the weekend to try the recipe out with a bottle of Beringer chardonnay and a slice of old world Italian bread toasted of course.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 4 medium plums, halved, pitted, thinly sliced
• 12 large or 16 small curly kale leaves
• 3/4 cup fresh ricotta

Preparation

• Whisk 3 Tbsp. oil, vinegar, thyme, and honey in a medium bowl. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. Add plums and toss to coat; transfer plums to a plate.
• Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Brush kale leaves with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil; season with salt. Grill kale, turning once, until crispy and charred at edges, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a work surface; let stand until cool enough to handle. Remove large center stems with a knife and discard (just trim the tough ends from smaller, more tender kale stems).
• Divide ricotta among plates; season with salt and pepper. Stir vinaigrette again. Tear larger kale leaves into pieces (leave smaller leaves whole). Place leaves in a large bowl and toss with some of the vinaigrette. Divide leaves among plates. Top with plums and drizzle some vinaigrette over.

• nutritional information

  5 servings, 1 serving contains:
  Calories (kcal) 220
  Fat (g) 16
  Saturated Fat (g) 4.5
  Cholesterol (mg) 20
  Carbohydrates (g) 16
  Dietary Fiber (g) 2
  Total Sugars (g) 9
  Protein (g) 6
  Sodium (mg) 150

 

san francisco weekend social calendar – june 29 to july 1

I have decided to include a new entry on my blog called San Francisco Weekend Social Calendar.  The purpose of this entry is to loop you in on what I recommend  to do over the weekend in San Francisco. Tourists are welcome of course.

So for this weekend, being June 29 thru July 1, I recommend the following  {click on photo for details}:

Friday, June 29, 2012 – AT&T Park For The Garlic Festival. Need I say more, Garlic, The Giants, good times

Saturday, June 30, 2012 – Private Garden Dinner for 10 at Regazza. This is a special offer which in my opinion is amazing if you have a group of friends on a budget (or not)

Sunday, July 30,2012 – Eurocup Final Italy vs Spain (Go Italy!!!) at Lalola Bar De Tapas . Whether you are a fan of soccer (a.k.a. football) or not doesn’t matter. It’s a fun filled experience for sure.