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}

 

healthy recipe: fajita burgers

As I stated many times before I eat healthy and with that there are many sacrifices I have made in order to stay within the guidlines of eating well.  On occassion, however, I crave the fat, the cheesy, the breads and carbs and when I stumble upon a recipe which gives me the chance to indulge in a healthy way, I jump right on it.

Here’s one recipe I absolutely love and have included in my monthly menu planning.

Ingredients

• 1 pound 90%-lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon chili powder, preferably New Mexican
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 4 French rolls, preferably whole-wheat, split and toasted
• 2 roasted Anaheim or poblano peppers, (see Tip)
• 1 cup shredded green cabbage
• 4 slices tomato
• 4 thin slices red onion

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Place beef, 1/4 cup cilantro, onion, scallions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Gently combine, without overmixing, until evenly incorporated. Form into 4 equal patties, about 1/2 inch thick and oval-shaped to match the rolls.
3. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, mayonnaise, lime juice and chipotle in a small bowl.
4. Peel the roasted peppers, halve lengthwise and remove the seeds.
5. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the burgers until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F, about 6 minutes per side. Top with cheese and cook until it is melted, about 1 minute more.
6. Assemble the burgers on toasted rolls with the chipotle mayonnaise, half a roasted pepper, cabbage, tomato and onion.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the chipotle mayonnaise (Step 3) for up to 5 days.

• Ingredient Note: Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they’ll keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer. You can also find them dried with other chiles or at melissas.com and ground in the spice section of many supermarkets.
• Tips:
• To oven-roast peppers:
• 1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a wire rack on a large baking sheet. Arrange whole bell peppers on the rack.
• 2. Roast peppers in the center of the oven, turning occasionally with tongs, until blackened in places, 30 to 40 minutes.
• 3. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let steam for 10 minutes. Uncover and let cool.
• 4. With a paring knife, remove stems, skins and seeds. If serving as antipasto, combine accumulated juices with peppers.
• To oil the grill rack: Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to spray the food with cooking spray.

Nutrition

Per serving: 434 calories; 20 g fat ( 7 g sat , 7 g mono ); 87 mg cholesterol; 36 g carbohydrates; 3 g added sugars; 31 g protein; 6 g fiber; 662 mg sodium; 660 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (75% daily value), Zinc (47% dv), Vitamin A (28% dv), Iron (26% dv), Calcium (20% dv), Magnesium & Potassium (19% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 2

Exchanges: 2 starch, 3 1/2 medium fat meat

kitchen concepts from ikea

Over the weekend I walked into Ikea in search of a new kitchen design to build outside of my now permanent studio home. While I often times dream of white kitchens, I couldn’t help but fall inlove with some not typically my style, making it difficult to choose from. I can tell this is going to be a long drawn out process

new years eve party hors d’oeuvres

I found an array of calorie conscious hors d’oeuvres to consider from here, for the small party I am having at my home on New Year’s Eve.  Let me know what you think?

healthy snacking: pumpkin granola – seasonal

Since I’ve been on this healthy diet and eating kick, I am always searching for ways to create a better version of what I can buy processed from a grocery store. 

Here’s one, which, I think I can either use as a snack or eat it with my almond milk as cereal.

Pumpkin Granola:
2 cups Rolled Oats (scoop this up from the bulk aisle! Bonus: these are gluten-free!)
1/3 cup Pure Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Agave Nectar or Pure Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Coconut Oil- melted (Place open jar on top of stove while preheating oven!)
1/2 cup chopped Pecans
1/2 cup chopped Pistachios
1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/3 cup Coconut Flakes
1/2 cup Golden Raisins

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, bring all ingredients together and mix thoroughly. Evenly spread mixture out on a baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes until golden-browning occurs. A good gage is to look at the color of your raisins, for they cook fast. If they look really dark like the way mine did- you’re done. Your batch isn’t burnt or ruined! I like my granola on the toastier side so it was perfect for me, but just be vigilant and don’t let it burn too bad… Let cool, then sprinkle atop a little plain goat yogurt and drizzle over some honey for a delicious parfait.

This recipe will fill an 18oz mason jar.. double the batch and make even more to store!

{please click here for photo and recipe credits}

thanksgiving recipe: french onion green bean casserole

I love green beans and since it’s on the healthy eating list, I try to at least make a dish once a week with green beans. But, I have always been too intimidated to make a green bean casserole dish for Thanksgiving, so I simply stir fry the beans and put them on the table to eat with a touch of butter. (Boring)

This is I am utterly and completely determined to include a green bean casserole into my menu, so I searched high and low, online of course and found the perfect one to make: Here is the recipe for your viewing pleasure and click here  for the video on how to make the casserole. It looks simple and down right delicious.

For the onions:

2 tablespoons butter
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced lengthwise
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

For the white sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 pinch ground nutmeg
cayenne pepper to taste(optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme

For the topping:

2 tablespoons melted butter
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
2  pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
4 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir the onions into the pan; cook and stir until very soft and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in sherry vinegar. Transfer to a small bowl, and reserve.
• In the same skillet, melt 2 more tablespoons butter. Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until the flour smells like baked pie crust, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk, about 1/2 cup at a time, then whisk in nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and thyme. Bring to simmer, and cook until thickened, whisking constantly, 3 more minutes. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in clean skillet; stir in panko until all crumbs are coated; reserve.
• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium heat, and boil beans until bright green and crisp but not raw tasting, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain very well.
• Spoon half of the caramelized onions into the prepared casserole dish; top with green beans. Season with salt and black pepper. Spread reserved white sauce over the green beans; sprinkle with half of the Gruyere cheese. Top with the rest of the onions, and use the back of a spoon to push onions down into sauce and cheese. Top with the buttered panko crumbs, the remaining Gruyere, and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until hot throughout and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

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 recipe: beet salad

I love beets and will eat anything made with beets, which means mostly all salads. I actually think I have turned everyone around me into appreciating the vegetable. There are of course health benefits to them and although I was forced to eat them as a child because of the fact and of course because my father loved them,  I now make a conscious effort to include them in my weekly diet plan without any parental threats .

Here is yet another recipe I found and have tried t and love it as usual, so I wanted to share it with you ladies and hopefully some gents. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think?

The only thing I changed was the blue cheese, I am not a fan so I used Greek cheese, it works just as well

French Roasted Beet Salad

Consider serving this as a first course. And if you don’t think you like beets, try them roasted. You may just change your mind.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds beets (4 to 5 medium)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons walnut or olive oil
1 cup arugula, baby greens or small, tender lettuces
1/2 cup thin slices purple onion (optional)
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
Snipped fresh chives (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Trim stems and roots from beets; peel beets. Cut beets into 1-inch pieces and place in a 13×9-inch baking pan. Toss with the olive oil; spread in pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with foil and roast for 20 minutes. Remove foil and roast for 10 to 15 minutes more or until beets are tender. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. In a serving bowl, whisk together garlic, salt and pepper, mustard, vinegar, and oil. Add warm beets and, if desired, sliced purple onion; toss to coat. Allow to cool to room temperature (about 20 minutes). Add baby greens; toss again. Sprinkle with blue cheese and, if you like, snipped fresh chives to serve.

holiday decorative table setting

I love the holiday season and truly do not mind walking through different stores to gather ideas for the buffet table setting. However, in the past I had always avoided the color red because I hated the orange hues visible in the tone, so I stuck to golds and silver to play it safe.

This year, since the color has been perfected to a vibrant red, I can’t help but lean towards a more red, white and silver theme.  Check out some of my favorites from here:

1. Red Bridge Tea Kettle
2. Peppermint Dish Towel
3. Flatware Stockings
4. Matte Metal Red Pillars
5. Antique Red Votive
6. Diaz Red Candleholders
7. Tasmin Dessert Platter (my favorite)
8. Ombre Red table mat
9. Happy Holidays Tumbler

comfort food – lasagna with caramelized onions

Eating healthy is a challenge during the colder months of the year, and although I maintain a pretty regimented meal plan on a weekly basis, once in a while I crave the greasiest, the fattiest meal and no matter how much I fight the crave, I give in to it, once a week.

Here is a recipe I found, as usual from my favorite site here, which I cannot wait to try over the weekend and of course share with everyone, who is very loyal to my blog. Let me know what you think?

Ground Beef, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 1 tbsp olive oil, more if needed
• 2 sweet yellow onions, sliced thickly
• 1 pound of lean ground beef (I used 93/7)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup of Asiago cheese
• 12 no cook lasagna noodles
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
• 4 cups of marinara sauce (homemade or store bought)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 15-20 minutes, or until tender and golden brown. Meanwhile, in another skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef, making sure to break it up into crumbles. Add the dried basil, garlic powder, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Once the meat is brown add the minced garlic and cook for 60 seconds, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and drain any grease.

In a large bowl, add ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, Asiago cheese, fresh chopped parsley, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Combine until mixed thoroughly.

Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking pan cooking spray then layer with just enough marinara sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Lay four lasagna noodles in the pan. Spread some of the ricotta mixture on the noodles, then spoon some of the ground beef mixture on top, followed by caramelized onions, and spinach leaves. Add four more noodles then top them with more sauce; repeat layering. Finish with a layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake covered in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes. Let the lasagna cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy.