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 cooking: lemon coconut pancakes

While I searched online for a new pancake mix recipe for the Easter morning breakfast  I had in mind and of course while staying  on my healthy eating kick, I discovered one, similar to pancakes I’d eaten at a restaurant in Emeryville, California several weeks ago and figured I’d try it. (Phew!!!)

So, here it goes:

Lemon Coconut Pancakes with Honey-Tart Yogurt Sauce
1 cup Gluten-Free flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 eggs
1 cup Coconut Milk
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Yogurt Sauce
1/4 cup Plain Yogurt of Choice (Goat, Sheep, Cow)
1 Tbsp Honey
2 tsp Strawberry Preserves
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
Mix all ingredients together well; set aside and serve with pancakes

First, mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, and set aside. In a separate bowl mix all the wet ingredients together and whisk well. Slowly stir in wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients, and mix thoroughly until a smooth batter forms. Heat a pan with a drop of Coconut oil, and pour in a 1/4 cup of batter onto pan, forming a nice round shape. Cook until bubbles form- about 2-3 minutes, then flip. Repeat until all the batter is gone. Serve with yogurt sauce, and top with fresh berries.

{photo and recipe credit: click here}

healthy eating: cauliflower dough pizza

Can a recipe get any better than this? Cauliflower dough pizza plus your favorite veggies and you have an amazing alternative to  everyone’s favorite meal.

No seriously I must be feeling better, because the first thing I craved today was pizza, but not the doughy kind, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I found a healthy recipe here and wanted to share, like I normally do when I am happy about something.

Healthy + Gluten Free Pizza with a Cauliflower Crust

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Author: Eating Bird Food

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• ½ head cauliflower (about 2 cups riced)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano

 

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400° F.
2. Prep a cookie sheet or pizza stone. You can grease the cookie sheet or use greased aluminum foil. It will stick if you don’t grease it properly. (I used a Pampered Chef baking stone, which doesn’t require any prep if it’s well seasoned.)
3. Remove the stems and leaves from your cauliflower and chop the florets into chunks. Add to a food processor (I used my Vitamix) and pulse just until the texture is similar to rice. If you don’t have a food processor or Vitamix, you can grate the cauliflower with a cheese grater or chop it.
4. Sauté cauliflower “rice” in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and cook until translucent, approximately 6-8 minutes. (You can use the microwave for this as well. Just place cauliflower in an uncovered microwave-safe bowl and cook for 8 minutes.)
5. In a bowl combine the cooked cauliflower with all remaining ingredients.
6. Spread dough out evenly over foil (or stone) – about ¼ to ⅓ of an inch thick. The pizza should be about 9-10 inches in diameter.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden, crispy on the edges and cooked through the middle.
8. Remove the crust from the oven.
9. Top with pizza sauce and toppings. Be careful not to add too many heavy toppings as you don’t want to weigh down the crust.
10. Broil the pizza for 5 minutes, or until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted. Allow the pizza to cool for 2-3 minutes then cut and serve immediately

You can top the pizza with whatever you like, just make sure the toppings are already cooked since you’ll only be broiling the pizza for a few minutes. I spread on a layer of my basil lima bean hummus, my favorite homemade pizza sauce (recipe from Ashley of the Edible Perspective), roasted squash and zucchini, roasted eggplant and a sprinkle of the shredded mozzarella, about 2 Tablespoons. The crust already has cheese so you don’t need much on top. Also keep in mind that the cauliflower crust isn’t quite as hearty as most regular dough-based crusts so you don’t want to weigh it down with a ton of ingredients. Keep is simple.

healthy eating: lavendar granola

I have to say I love granola, more so soaked in Almond Milk than over yogurt, although I’m not that picky. But the store bought version tends to have too much sugar, which is something I am trying to definitely cut down.  So, I was happy to find the recipe from here to try and also to share.  The only difference is, although, I love lavendar, I prefer not to incorporate it in my food, so I substituted the exotic flavor with a dash of cinnamon (my favorite) instead.

Lavender Granola

Ingredients:

2 cups Oats
1/4 cup Flax Seeds
3/4 Nuts of choice or mix them all! (A mix of almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds)
1 tsp Vanilla
4 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Lavender Buds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, bring all ingredients together and mix well. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden, dry and toasty. Let cool, then transfer to a mason jar to store. Serve over yogurt and top with fresh berries and a drizzle of honey.

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

healthy recipe: glazed beat and carrot salad

Normally, on the weekends, I seldom crave wholesome foods. By that I mean, pastas, meats, potatoes, rice, even peanut butter and in all reality a good cup of coffee will do just fine, except when I come across an amazing salad from my favorite site here. Then I just can’t stop craving.

GLAZED BEET + CARROT SALAD // Serves 4

• 1/2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large yellow beets, roasted and peeled, cut into 1/2” wedges
• 3 carrots, halved, large halves quartered if needed
• sea salt + pepper
• 2 tsp. honey
• 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. tahini
• 1 Tbsp. orange or lemon juice
• 1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, divided
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 12 cups mixed baby lettuces
• 1/3 cup cooked garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds, white or black or mixed

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the carrots and beets and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring once or twice, until the carrots are crisp-tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add the honey and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly glazed, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl to cool.

Whisk the remaining tablespoon of vinegar, tahini and citrus into the skillet along with the cumin and a generous pinch of the chopped parsley.

Toss the baby lettuces, remaining parsley and garbanzos with a light coating of the tahini dressing. Plate the greens and top with the carrots, beets and sprinkle the sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

* You can prepare the salad a day in advance by making the carrots and beets as directed, and keeping them covered in the fridge overnight. The dressing can also be kept covered in the fridge for up to a week. Toss everything and assemble just before serving.

{please click here for photo and recipe credit}

healthy snacking: cherry-almond power bar

I love dried cherries and will probably eat them by the pound, almost on a daily basis. I also love almonds, not as much as dried cherries, but will reach for them more than any other nut.

So, I couldn’t have been happier to discover this recipe and I have to tell you, it is probably one of the best recipes for anyone with a sweet tooth and on a health kick.

Cherry-Almond Power Bars

*makes 8 large bars

• 2 ½ cups unblanched slivered almonds
• 1/3 cup flaxseed meal
• 2/3 cup dried cherries
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 2-3 tablespoon raw hemp seeds (optional)
• 8 drops liquid stevia
• 1 pinch of sea salt
• 2 tablespoon water

1. Place almonds, flax meal, cherries, cranberries, hemp seeds, stevia and salt in food processor.
2. Pulse until ground and then pulse in water until the mixture begins to form a solid ball.
3. Press mixture firmly into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish lined with wax paper.
4. Slice into bars and serve.

recipes from san francisco

Need I say more?

healthy recipe: beet tartine and goat cheese

I found a recipe here, which included one of my favorite vegetables – beets and the fact it is marinated, and eaten with goat cheese make it even more appetizing, not to mention the fact it is one of the best ways to detox.

Beet Tartine with Marinated Caper Berries
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized beets
4 slices whole-grain rye bread (check the ingredient list for suspicious ingredients)
soft goat cheese / chèvre (optional)
handful marinated caper berries
fresh rosemary
sea salt + cracked black pepper

Directions:
1. With the skin still on, wrap beets individually in foil and roast in a 400°F / 200°C oven for at least one hour, until you can easily pierce the beet with a sharp knife. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Unwrap and slide skins off. Slice into desired shapes.
2. While the oven is hot, spread goats cheese on the slices of rye bread and place under the broiler until golden, about 5 minutes.
3. On each piece of toast place the sliced beets, caper berries, a few rosemary leaves, lots of pepper and a pinch of salt. Finish the dish with a drizzle of the marinating oil from the capers. Eat and enjoy.

Rosemary-Fennel Marinated Caper Berries
Ingredients:
1 jar capers or caper berries, drained (I used the latter)
3 springs fresh rosemary, or 1 Tbsp. dried
1 Tbsp. fennel seeds
a few glugs cold-pressed olive oil

Directions:
1. Drain capers and place in a jar or small bowl. Toss with all other ingredients and let sit at room temperature for a few hours, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Although it may seem a little intimidating at first, next time you’re at a restaurant, or just trawling the web for menus like me, find that little spark that speaks to your belly. Look for interesting combinations of foods, flavours and textures. Take notes, take a picture. Even if you don’t know how the dish looks or what it tastes like, you can fill in the blanks with your creative culinary mind. This is what makes cooking a real adventure, and a tasty one at that.

{click here for photo and recipe credits}

healthy eating: yogurt with caramelized figs

While adjusting to my new eating regiment (going on week three), I have to incorporate at least 6oz of plain yogurt with some sort of fresh fruit on a daily basis. Since the recipe never indicated which brand of yogurt to consider, I decided to go with my favorite yogurt complimented with fresh organic  blueberries. I loved the combination until of course I came across this recipe and my world hasn’t been the same since:

Yogurt topped with Caramelized Figs
1 cup Yogurt of choice (I used Fage Plain Yogurt)
2 Figs, halved
3 Tbsp Organic Agave
Sprinkles of Pistachio Nuts
Dashes of Ground Cinnamon

To caramelize the figs, add agave to a small skillet and place figs face down. Simmer over low heat until browned and toasty smelling (3-4 minutes). Place yogurt into bowl, drizzle over caramelized figs and sprinkle over pistachios and dashes of cinnamon.

{click here for photo credit}