New treat that is epic!

 

In our household we try to avoid all processed and packaged foods and eat a clean diet. However, I travel a lot for work so making healthy decisions on the road is extremely important.

 

I am sure many of you have heard of the LARABAR "granola like" bar on the market. Each bar "is a delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. Made from whole food, each flavor contains no more than nine ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended". They are not cooked or baked and are perfect to grab as a quick snack to hold you over until your next meal.

 

I recently went to the store and saw a display for UBER LaraBars. I had never heard of this product line but I love anything and everything banana so I thought I would give the Bananas Foster a try.

 

THIS BAR WAS EPIC! Sweet and Salty (prefect for those of us who don't have a sweet tooth but love salty foods) and so dessert like I actually felt guilty after eating this bar. It will seriously take the place of any decadent dessert. It comes in 4 flavors- banana fosters, apple turnover, cherry cobbler and roasted nut roll.

 

 



 

Bananas Foster's Ingredients: almonds, walnuts, brown rice syrup, dates, dried bananas , sea salt, honey, pecans and cinnamon.

This product does not contain refined sugars but still needs to be eaten in moderation as an occasional treat.

Let me know if you love this bar as much as I do!

Homemade ice cream cones!

At the end of dinner do you ever crave a big bowl of ice cream? Here is a simple way to make homemade banana ice cream (which just happens to be my favorite flavor since I was little).

Cut bananas in half and flash freeze on a cookie sheet. Once frozen place in a large zip lock bag for storage. Freezing them first on a cookie sheet prevents them from sticking together in a bag.

 



Remove desired number of bananas and place in a food processor- blend until smooth (feel free to add a little water or almond milk if needed), then pour "soft serve" banana ice cream into a freezable container and refreeze.

 

You can enjoy soft serve ice cream at this point too! Mix agave nectar and cocoa powder together for a simple chocolate syrup topping.

 



Once the banana mix is refrozen scoop with an ice cream scoop and enjoy! 

(Add chopped walnuts or cacoa nibs in place of sprinkles)

 

Baked Salmon and Carmelized Figs

My husband and I choose to buy all of our local meat from a farm where we know the farmers and can see how the animals are raised. When we moved, we knew we were leaving behind our beloved Springfield Farm and decided it was worth the drive if we couldn't find another place to go. We asked around and checked out Local Harvest before we found an amazing local organic farm called Rumbleway.  This place is a new favorite as we have quickly become regulars! The best part is last time I went to the farm they had Salmon- I am not a huge fish lover (yet) but decided it was something we had to try. 

For dinner we grabbed some veggies from the frig (cherry tomatoes from our CSA and asparagus), lined a tray with parchment paper, cut some fresh basil and topped with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. We rolled the parchment paper into a pouch a baked at 400 degrees for 15+ mins (time varies depending on thickness of the Salmon).

It turned out perfect and we had easy clean up too!

After dinner I laid down reading the latest copy of Whole Living Magazine and as soon as I read the new fig yogurt recipe I jumped up and ran outside. My little brother gave us a mission fig tree as a housewarming gift and I saw a few ripe ones on the tree this morning. I picked two and was back in the kitchen to make a 5 minute dessert that was heavenly.

Cut figs in half. Heat pan to medium, add a TB of honey and place figs cut side down. Wait 5 mins until they caramelize.

In the meantime pour yogurt in a bowl, top with a drizzle of honey, cinnamon and we opted for sliced almonds (you could also use pistachios or walnuts). Then add the cooked figs. That's it!! 

What are your favorite healthy meals?

Healthy Rice Pudding

If you love rice pudding or are looking for a new healthier dessert option here is a great recipe my mom and I came up with over the holiday. My brother has so may food allergies we made this version for him, but I wound up liking it more than the original. Its not a creamy as traditional rice pudding but also a lot less heavy on the belly.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water + 1/2 cup for raisins
• heaping 1/4 cup of golden raisins (you can use any type)
• few dashes of cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup of arborio rice (this type of rice is important)
• 2 cups of original Almond Milk (I used 60 calorie Almond Breeze)
• 1/2 TB earth balance butter spread
• 4.5 TB sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over raisins until they plump up (you can do this while the rice is cooking), then drain
2. Bring water, salt and earth balance to a boil in a medium pan. Add rice and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Shake the pan occasionally and cook until the rice has absorbed the water but is still al dente, about 15 mins.
3. Bring almond milk, sugar, vanilla and a few dashes of cinnamon to a simmer in a separate saucepan. Add the cooked rice and cook at a simmer over medium-low heat until the rice absorbs most of the almond milk. About 10-15 minutes.
4. Transfer pudding to a large bowl and mix in the plumped raisins- cool to room temperature and then place in the frig to cool a little more and set.
5. Serve in a martini glass topped with mixed berries

adapted from Dave Lieberman's arborio rice pudding recipe

Chocolate Love!

The most nutritious chocolate is one that is at least 70% cacao. This bittersweet treat (100 calories per serving) a day can improve blood circulation and lower blood pressure.

I have shared this before but my absolute favorite is Endangered Species Mint - it tastes just like the Girl Scout cookie Thin Min! What are your favorites?

Crispy Peanut Butter Cookies

Since life is all about balance and making healthy choices I wanted to share this cookie recipe with you.
Inspired by two recipes in Maida Heatter’s “Book of Great Cookies,”.

Ingredients
(1 1/4 cups) whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Heaped 1/2 cup smooth organic peanut butter, with no salt or sugar added, plus 2 tablespoons for filling the cookies
5 ounces (3/4 cup) raw brown sugar
1 egg


Directions
1. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.

2. Cream the butter and 1/2 cup of peanut butter in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the raw sugar and beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and gradually add the flour mixture, beating at low speed.

3. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on your work surface and spoon the dough onto the paper in a strip 12 to 14 inches long and about 2 inches thick. Fold the paper over the dough and shape the strip of dough into a log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate several hours or, preferably, overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with racks positioned in the middle and lower portions. Line baking sheets with parchment. Remove the log of dough from the refrigerator and cut it in half. Rewrap one half and return to the refrigerator. Cut the remaining half into thin rounds, no thicker than 1/4 inch, and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart, with the rows staggered. Place 1/4 teaspoon of peanut butter in the center of each round. Remove the other half of the dough from the refrigerator and slice in rounds. Place each round on top of a peanut butter-topped round. When all of the rounds are covered, lightly flour your fingertips and seal the cookies by pressing down gently all the way around. It won’t matter if the top cracks a little. Your rounds should be about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.

5. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 to 16 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly colored and semi-firm to the touch, switching the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely before eating. They won’t be crisp until they cool.

Yield: 24 to 28 cookies

Advance preparation: These will keep for 3 or 4 days, if you can keep them around for that long.

Nutritional information per cookie: 131 calories; 3 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 18 milligrams cholesterol; 13 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 116 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein.

Raw Cookie Dough Balls

Ingredients
2/3 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup of oats
2 TB agave
1 TB maple syrup (omit syrup and use agave if you want to preserve a true Raw status)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips (to preserve raw status take 2TB raw cacoa powder and add 1TB agave (optional dash of vanilla extract) whisk and blend. Spread into a thin layer on wax paper and freeze. Take frozen chocolate off wax paper and crumble making "raw" chips)

Directions

1. Blend oats and cashews in food processor until a powder forms
2. Add agave, maple and vanilla extract to mix and blend.
3. When the dough starts to ball up and bang around from side to side it is done.
4. Add chocolate chips and blend for a few seconds or stir in by hand.
5. Transfer to a working surface and blend into small balls, I made 17 from this recipe

This is the perfect little snack when you need something sweet!

Chocolate everywhere!!

(Sorry I am not a good photographer)



So Jason and I went slightly crazy with melted chocolate last night. We double boiled 70% cacao dark chocolate chips and then dipped in everything we had in the pantry.

Above looks like a mess but its actually chocolate covered raw cashews and we sprinkled it with pink Himalayan sea salt. We can't wait to try it!

Then we took wooden skewers and made marshmallow pops. We dipped the marshmallow in chocolate then covered it in crushed graham crackers. Cold smores! These were incredible, we kept licking our lips after we had a taste.

Then we took other graham crackers broke them in halves and sticks dipped them in chocolate then covered them in the crushed graham crackers.

Our frig is filled with sweet treats! Have a great weekend everyone :)

Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Eating healthy does not mean you have to avoid indulgences. Dark chocolate has many benefits that make it a great choice and who doesn't love chocolate?

Dr. Andrew Weil believes that the antioxidants - phenols and flavonoids - found in dark chocolate may offer protection against heart disease. He also states that in addition, cocoa butter - a saturated fat - may have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels. A number of chemically active compounds in dark chocolate can improve mood and pleasure by boosting serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain. And consuming dark chocolate may slow the oxidation of LDL ("bad") cholesterol.


 Limit yourself to an ounce several times a week. If you can't find good imported chocolate, look for a domestic brand that contains at least 70 percent cocoa.

Dark chocolate containing over 70% coca can be slightly bitter but I found this great brand so I had to share it with my readers. Endangered Species Chocolate All Natural dark chocolate with deep forest mint and 72% cocoa. It takes just like a girl scout cookie and is so rich and you only need a little bit to satisfy any craving. This brand also donates 10% of their profits to help support species, habitat and humanity.  You shouldn't even need to go to a health food store to enjoy this special treat, my local Safeway carries this brand!

Which sweetener to choose?

If your like me you always question which sweetener is the healthiest option to choose! Well here are some great choices that taste good too!!

Stevia- This is a natural powder that comes from the South American herb Stevia Rebaudiana. It has zero calories and a concentrated sweet punch. "One half teaspoon can equal the sweetness of one cup of refined white sugar".
Raw Honey- This is our original sweetener from mother nature. Raw honey actually contains probiotic bacteria that as we know helps support our digestive systems.
Sucanat- This is a straightforward substitute for granulated sugar. Sucanat actually retains molasses content which makes it close to cane sugar.
Maple Sugar Flakes- It tastes like syrup with a pleasing crunch. Its also half the calories of refined sugar.
Organic Evaporated Cane Juice - This looks like sugar (and is found in the sugar aisle of a health food store) but is slightly darker in appearance as its not as processed. Use this as you would white sugar but note is has a deeper molasses flavor.

Source- The Best of Clean Eating

Dessert Shake

I made this yummy shake last night for a perfect healthy after dinner snack! Don't discount the avacado it adds a creamy texture.

• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cacao powder
• handful of ice
• 1/4 of an avocado
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• liquid stevia to taste

I also made Jason a "man's" version

• 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cacao powder
• 1 banana
• handful of ice
• 1/4 of avocado
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• liquid stevia to taste

yum!!

I LOVE bananas!!

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OK I am in love..... with my new *snack*. If you know me at all, then you know I love anything banana flavored however, I find that if I eat a plain banana I am usually hungry immediately afterwards. So this recipe adds a little twist to satisfy your sweet tooth, its super easy and a healthy option for dessert or a sweet snack.

Slice 1 banana lengthwise and place on a backing sheet (I line the pan with aluminum foil to make clean up easy). Then sprinkle lightly with light brown sugar and broil for 3 minutes. Once done remove from the oven and sprinkle with cinnamon. Enjoy!!

Chai "Creme" Brulee

So I was reading the new issue of Clean Eating Magazine (GREAT issue!!) and decided I would make the Chai "Creme" Brulee for dessert one night. I am not a fan of tofu but let me tell you this recipe is delicious and an excellent substitute for the real creme brulee at only 126 calories, 3g fat, 1g carb, 0g fiber and 7g protein. Even my husband liked it :) Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup of 1% milk
3 chai tea bags
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
2 cardamom pods
8oz firm tofu, drained of all water
1 egg
2 egg whites
1/3 cup plus 2 TB organic evaporated cane juice divided (this is a sugar)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In a small saucepan heat milk to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and add tea bags, cloves, cinnamon stick and cardamom. Cover and let stand for at least 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine tofu, egg, egg whites and 1/3 cup can juice. Process until VERY smooth.
4. Remove tea bags and spices from milk. With food processor running slowly pour milk through feed tube until combined. Divide mixture equally among 6 ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking dish and fill dish with hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
5. Bake in oven for 18-22 minutes until set. Remove from oven and chill until serving. To serve top each creme with 1tsp cane juice and place under preheated broiler until crystals melt and become browned.
   

Anniversary Dinner

Wednesday night my husband and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. Its crazy how fast time flies by! To make the night extra special I wanted him to come home to an amazing dinner that I made from scratch. My menu included: Parmesan Breadsticks, Lobster, Steamed Vegetables, Lemon Linguini and a Lemon Meringue Cake. Everything was delicious so I wanted to share a few of the recipes.

These were so cute standing up in a glass, you can even tie them up with a ribbon and give them as a hostess gift (FYI-I did not take any of these photos).

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 TB chopped thyme, rosemary and or/sage

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

1/4c + 2 TB cold water

1 large egg white

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with nonstick foil. Pulse first 4 ingredients in a food processor. Add oil and pulse until crumbly. With machine running slowly pour water through feed tube just until dough forms.
2. Transfer dough to floured cutting board; divide in half and let rest for 10 minutes. With floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece into a 7x9 inch rectangle. Cut dough lengthwise into 14, 1/2" strips. Brush with egg whites and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese. Working with one strip at a time, twist and place lengthwise on 1 baking sheet. Repeat.
3. Bake until golden brown, 18-20 mins. Let cool. Store at room temperature in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Per Serving (2 breadsticks): 83 calories, 3g Fat, 11g Carb, 0g Fiber, 3g Protein.

WeightWatchers Magazine Nov-Dec 2010

The lemon linguini was delicious! Also a great summer recipe served cold. You can always add more to this recipe such as shrimp, asparagus, roasted green beans, chicken, or chopped tomatos if you wanted to make it more of a meal than a side dish.

Ingredients

1lb linquini

1/2 c olive oil

zest from 1 lemon

juice from 2 lemons

1/2 c chopped green onions

1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

salt & pepper

lots of parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook linguini and drain. Combine next 5 ingredients in a large serving bowl and add pasta. Toss well and then sprinkle in salt and pepper. Toss in parmesan to taste.
2. Serves 6

Lemon Meringue Cake Ingredients
2c cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1c + 2 TB fat free milk
3/4c + 4TB sugar
1/2c + 2TB fat-free egg substitute
1/4c canola oil
5 large egg whites
6 TB prepared lemon curd (I used a little extra)
Frosting Ingredients
4 large egg whites at room tempature
1c sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 9" round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with parchment or way paper and spray paper with nonstick spray.
2. To make cake, combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Wisk milk, 3/4c sugar, egg substitute, and oil in a large bowl. Wisk in the flour mixture just until blended.
3. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg white in another large bowl, until soft peaks form. Add remaining 4 TB of sugar, 1 TB at a time, beating until firm peaks form. With rubber spatula, gently fold beaten egg whites into flour mixture until no streaks of white remain.
4. Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of each layer comes out clean 30-35 mins. Run knife around each layer to loosen it from pan. Invert each layer onto rack. Remove parchment paper and let cool completely.
5. With long serrated knife, split each layer in half to make a total of 4 layers (*great trick is to use dental floss instead of a knife). Arrange 3 layers cut side up on work surface and spread 2TB of lemon curd on each layer. Place 1 layer cut side up on a serving plate. Top with two more layers filling side up. Cover with remaining cake layer cut side down. If making ahead, wrap cake tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze up to 1 month. Let thaw in frig overnight.
6. To make frosting, whisk egg whites and sugar in large metal bowl of eletric stand mixer. Set bowl in large saucepan over 1" simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture is hot 5-7 mins. Transfer bowl to mixer, add vanilla extract and with whisk attachment on med-high speed, beat until stiff glossy peaks form and mixture is completely cool, 5-7 mins. Spread frosting at once over top and sides of cake.
7. To add pizzazz, ignite a hand held torch as directed. Move the flame continuously in small circles over the frosting until it lightly browned.

Per serving (1/16 of cake) 230 cal, 4g fat, 0g fiber, 5g protein, 44g carbs.

Weight Watchers Nov-Dec 2010 magazine

Perfect Dessert

This dessert is not only delicious but a lot of fun! A great option for an upcoming dinner party or romantic dinner for two. Its so easy to make and studies show that chocolate actually helps improve your mood.


Chocolate Fondue
2/3 cup evaporated skim milk
3 tablespoons of agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee granulates (optional)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 oz bittersweet chocolate (such as Ghirardelli), chopped
1 cup cubed angel food cake
2 cups fresh fruit (kiwi, bananas, mangos, apples etc.)

• Combine evaporated milk, agave nectar, vanilla extract, and espresso powder in a small heavy bottomed saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook until mixture begins to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat.
• Whisk in cocoa powder until well blended. Add chocolate. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is well blended; pour mixture into a fondue pot to keep warm. (Add more milk if mixture becomes too thick).
• Use forks or skewers to dip cake and fruit into chocolate.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving (1/4 cup fondue, 1/4 cup cake and 1/2 cup fruit) 291 calories, 10g fat, 52g carbs, 146mg sodium, 6g fiber and 7g protein.

Women's Health Magazine October 2010

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Serves- almost 2 dozen

Cook time- 10 to 12 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

vegan chocolate or carob chips- put in as many as you like

1 cup raw sugar (turbinado)

1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine spread (can find a Trader Joe's)

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup of water

Directions:

VERY IMPORTANT- make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. It will work if they are not all at room temperature but it works much better if they are. Also while you are pre-heating the oven set the cookie sheets you are going to use on top of the oven so they get slightly pre-heated. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon (if you choose). Add chips. Make a well in the center and set aside.

In a medium bowl mix vegan sugar and vegan margarine. Mix it well. Add the vanilla then add the water. Mix it well. Add the wet to the well in the dry. Mix it well but be careful not to overwork it. Add more chips if you need to. Spoon onto ungreased cooking sheets, put them in the oven and bake for 10 mins.

The cookies are done when they are a little bit softer than you want them to be. They will harden up some as they cool.

Take them out when they are done and move them to wire cooling racks. If they split or come apart when you try to remove them let them sit on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring them to the racks.

I haven't tired these cookies yet but my friend shared this recipe with me and said they are delicious!

Enjoy!!