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}

healthy eating: spinach, strawberry, walnut and parmesan salad

Lately, since the weather has been so cold and gray in San Francisco, I have done nothing but search for comfort food to get me by. Even though I maintain healthy eating habits, for some strange reason, this “summer” I crave what is not that good for me or maybe it is, depending on how you are looking at it.

Anyway, I decided to turn to my favorite site here, for a salad recipe, hoping it would inspire me enough to get back to what’s really good for me, even if we haven’t seen the sun or felt the warmth of the summer for the last 60+ days

Spinach Salad with Strawberry, Walnut, and Parmesan Shavings

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Walnut pieces, toasted
• Baby spinach
• Strawberries, sliced
• Parmesan cheese shavings
• 2 tbsp light olive oil or canola oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

I actually loved it and what the best thing is, it is very easy to make.  Let me know what you think?

healthy eating: eggs and asparagus

Image: ForTheLoveOfCooking

I love fine cuisine, I don’t deny it, but once in a while I truly appreciate finding a recipe online that is not only healthy but has my favorite ingredients in it.

Now the interesting thing for me about eggs and asparagus is that I  often made a frittata with them with a touch of parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, but the recipe here is a much simpler way of incorporating the two together and I have to tell you,  it was amazing!  I loved it and I know you will too. But I am always curious about what your take is on the recipes I provide, so please let me know how it turned out for you?

Parmesan Roasted Asparagus Topped with a Poached Egg:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 5 spears of asparagus
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese, shaved or shredded
• 1 egg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray then add the asparagus. Spray the asparagus with a touch of olive oil cooking spray then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Sprinkle the top of the asparagus with Parmesan cheese then place into the oven and roast for 5-7 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and place onto a serving plate.

While the asparagus is roasting, add water to a pan, filling it two thirds full; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Coat a poaching cup (or custard cup) with cooking spray then place in the water. Break the egg into the cup then cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the whites are firm but the yolk is soft.

Place the poached egg on top of the Parmesan roasted asparagus then season the egg with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

***For a more detailed information about the recipe, please visit  http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/ ***

healthy eating: protein shakes

I must admit I live by protein shakes, almost on a daily basis. But buying one made from Starbucks, Jamba Juice and other healthy drink bars can be expensive, even though they are delicious and hastle-free.

Just recently I decided to purchase my very first industrial strength blender and some good old fashioned Whey protein powder from a health food store, as well as found some recipes here which I think are pretty easy to follow in order to make my very own shakes at home.

The wonderful thing about making shakes at home is that, you can actually add fresh fruits rather than the frozen ones from the specialty stores. Not to mention the fact, Springtime  is also the best time of the year to mix and match different fruits as they are in season and more available in your local supermarket.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Wild Berry Boost
Ingredients:
2 scoops Vanilla Whey Powder
8 raspberries
4 strawberries
15 blueberries
16 ounces nonfat milk
1/2 cup ice cubes

Pineapple Power
Ingredients:
1 cup of pineapple juice
3 strawberries
1 banana
1 teaspoon of yogurt
1 scoop of your choice of protein

Mango Madness
2-3 scoops Vanilla Whey Powder
1/2 to 1 cup mango pieces frozen or freshly sliced natural mango
1 cup Brown Cow Vanilla cream top yogurt
1 Tbsp Flax seed oil
6-8 oz water

healthy eating: chicken au champagne

Oh my, how can this get any better. A chicken dish with my favorite alcoholic beverage – champagne from my favorite site here for me to share with my readers. Let me know how it turns out for you?

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken breasts (with skin and bone)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chervil, tarragon, or thyme (optional)
1 shallot, quartered
1 cup Champagne (Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut recommended) 

Yield: 4 Servings

RECIPE

Place the chicken breasts in a roasting pan, and season them. Pour 1/2 cup of the Champagne over breasts. Make a slit in each breast and insert a piece of shallot. 

Place the pan under the broiler, skin-side up, for 3 minutes, until the skin is nicely browned. Turn and broil the other side for 5 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the broiler, baste with the pan juices, and add the remaining 1/2 cup of Champagne. Adjust the oven temperature to 475 degrees and bake the chicken for 30 minutes, basting once or twice.

Serve over brown rice. Sautéed mushrooms add a special touch and go beautifully with Champagne. (In a warm frying pan with a touch of olive oil, add clean, roughly chopped mushrooms, and cook for a few minutes. Add a few drops of lemon juice, freshly chopped sage, seasoning to taste and 1 tablespoon of butter.) Pour the cooking juices from the chicken over the meat and rice. Serve the remainder of the bottle of Champagne (about 6 glasses) with the meal.

healthy eating: salmon tacos

I must admit, I cannot resist Mexican food, although some of the California gourmet variations are not the true sense of the cuisine.  But either way, I do appreciate all the attempts to spin off from the original Mexican style taco and embrace them in my own home.

With that said, I have found this really interesting Salmon taco recipe here which  I have added to my list of healthy meals for the family. Hope you like it.

Santa Fe Salsa

• 1 can(s) (11 ounce) mexi corn, drained
• 1 cup(s) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1/2 cup(s) black beans, rinced, drained
• 1/2 cup(s) shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup(s) green chile salsa
• 1/4 cup(s) diced red onion
• 2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh cilantro

Salmon

• 2  (about 1 1/2 pounds) salmon steaks, 1-inch thick
• 1 tablespoon(s) jalapeno and lime flavored olive oil, or any favorite flavored or plain olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) pepper
• 8  taco shells
• Shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce for garnish

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Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the salsa ingredients; set aside.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush oil over salmon steaks; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Cook salmon in skillet 3 to 4 minutes per side, for medium-rare. Remove from heat; let cool slightly then break up into chunks.
4. Spoon salmon into taco shells, dividing evenly; top with corn salsa. Garnish with lettuce.

Nutritional Information
(per serving)

Calories	471
Total Fat	16g
Saturated Fat	–
Cholesterol	–
Sodium	–
Total Carbohydrate	37g
Dietary Fiber	–
Sugars	–
Protein	43g
Calcium

healthy cooking: filet mignon with roquefort

Who doesn’t love a great piece of steak, except the non-meat eaters of course. I love steak and if it were up to me, I could eat one every day. But in trying to keep a balance with my healthy eating and cooking goal, I only eat steak once a month and it has to be a filet mignon.

I am however, particular about the cut and often times would go to a specialty meat and poultry shop to purchase just the right cut and size. With that said, I have found a great filet mignon recipe (not that I really ever need a  recipe to prepare the steak)  here and have actually served it up by itself – without a side dish on occasion and then with the spinach sautéed with lemon and garlic and a wonderful french Cabernet Sauvignon. I am not going to recommend the wine because to each his/her own on that one.

Anyway, enjoy the recipe and let me know how it turned out for you.

Ingredients

U.S.

Metric

Conversion chart

• 2 teaspoon(s) olive oil
• 4  (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks (1 in. thick), trimmed of fat
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground pepper
• 1 ounce(s) Roquefort cheese, crumbled (1/4 cup)

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Directions

1. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil on high until hot. On waxed paper, evenly season steaks, on both sides, with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.
2. Add steak to skillet and cook 10 minutes for medium-rare or until desired doneness, turning over once. Transfer steakto 4 dinner plates; top with Roquefort.

For the Spinach with lemon and garlic recipe

• 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 2 clove(s) garlic, crushed with side of chef’s knife
• 2 bag(s) (10-ounce) spinach, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt

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Directions

1. In 5- to 6-quart saucepot, heat oil on medium-high until hot. Add garlic and cook 1 minute or until golden, stirring.
2. Add spinach, with water clinging to leaves, in 2 to 3 batches; cook 2 minutes or until all spinach fits in saucepot. Cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer or just until spinach wilts, stirring once. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

{photo courtesy: James Balgre @ delish.com}

healthy eating: chili with lentil

I found this amazing chili recipe here and wanted to share it with my readers. Most busy women appreciate making food in bulk in order to feed their family and have a little bit left over for lunch the next day.  But even if that isn’t the case in your household, you will appreciate the chili with lentil recipe below.

Just in case you are curious about the health benefits of lentil: It is a member of the legume family, which is highly recommended in healthy eating. Not only do lentils lower cholesterol, they  also manage blood-sugar disorders due to its high fiber content. Lentils also contain six important minerals, two B-vitamins, protein with virtually no fat.

So, next time you are in the mood for chili, consider my favorite legume, lentil instead of the usual beans chili is made with.

Serves 8
This simple vegetarian chili recipe uses lentils instead of beans. Brown lentils work best as they will hold their shape even when tender after cooking. Serve with our Health Starts Here hearth bread from our bakery.

Ingredients
8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 teaspoons salt-free chili powder
1 (16-ounce) package brown lentils (about 2 1/4 cups lentils)
2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Method
Bring 3/4 cup broth to a simmer in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook about 8 minutes or until onion is translucent and pepper is tender. Stir in chili powder and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add lentils, tomatoes and remaining 7 1/4 cups broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes or until lentils are almost tender. Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving : 120 calories (5 from fat), 0g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 180mg sodium, 21g total carbohydrate (7g dietary fiber, 6g sugar), 6g protein

{photo: wholefoodsmarket.com}

healthy eating – beef stew with red wine and dried plums

For some  reason I love beef stew, I suppose because it is the American version of Boeuf Bourguignon, which happens to be one of  my favorite French dishes (yes I said French again).  The wonderful thing about beef stew is that you can actually make it a day in advance and in a large quantity for a fun meal, for the entire family or while entertaining friends during the winter months.

Now, although I enjoy traditional beef stew with potatoes and carrots, on occasion I am always looking for “out of the norm” recipes to make the meal exciting and yet weight watcher friendly and thankfully I was able to do just that with the beef stew recipe that I found here. It has no potatoes or carrots, instead it’s made with dried plums and celery celeriac. I actually made this version minus the vanilla bean and it was pretty good and I didn’t feel guilty about watching what I ate.  I paired it with a  *robust Cabernet and sliced, *rustic French (yes I said French) bread from Trader Joe’s.

*Wine and bread suggestions are based on what is available in your part of the world.

So enjoy and let me know what you thought of the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  olive oil, divided
• 2  cups  chopped onion
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3  cup  all-purpose flour
• 2  pounds  lean beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 2  cups  dry red wine
• 2  (14-ounce) cans less-sodium beef broth
• 2  thyme sprigs
• 1/2  vanilla bean (optional)
• 1/2  teaspoon  black pepper
• 4  cups  (3/4-inch) cubed peeled celeriac (celery root; about 1 pound)
• 16  pitted dried plums

Preparation

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon onion mixture into a large bowl.

Place flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of beef mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add browned beef to onion mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining beef mixture and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Add wine to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Add beef mixture, broth, thyme, and vanilla bean half, if desired. Bring mixture to a simmer. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour or until beef is just tender.

Discard thyme sprigs and vanilla bean half. Stir in celeriac and dried plums. Simmer, uncovered, 1 hour or until beef and vegetables are very tender and sauce is thick, stirring occasionally.

Nutritional Information

Calories:297 (30% from fat)
Fat: 9.9g (sat 3.3g,mono 4.7g,poly 0.6g)
Protein: 25.1g
Carbohydrate: 27.2g
Fiber: 3.4g
Cholesterol: 71mg
Iron: 3.8mg
Sodium: 608mg
Calcium: 65mg

healthy eating – arugula salad recipe

I actually got tired of eating the same leaves day in and day out, so one day while shopping at my favorite grocery store,  I decided to bring home a box of freshy cut and washed arugula to test out.

Although I have had them many times in restaurants, I never considered consuming them at home. Don’t ask. Anyway, I brought them home and decided to experiment and to my surprise I was able to create a great tasting salad from a recipe I found here and now arugula has become my choice of leaves.

Ingredients:

6 cups arugula leaves
1 mango, peeled and cut into long slices
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
½ red onion, sliced
1 tbs lime juice
Spicy orange vinaigrette
1 tbs champagne vinegar
4 tbs orange juice, about ½ orange
2 tbs lime juice, about ½ lime
4 tbs olive oil
½ tsp cumin
2 tbs finely chopped cilantro
1 red chili or hot pepper, sliced
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing in a jar, close it tight and shake until the ingredients are well mixed.
2. Soak the onion slices in warm water with a dash of salt and 1 tbs lime juice for about 10 minutes.
3. Rinse and drain the onions slices.
4. Toss the arugula leaves with half of the vinaigrette.
5. Add the avocado slices, mango slices and onion slices to the arugula mix, drizzle the remaining vinaigrette on top.
6. Serve immediately.

Let me know what you think?