Turning Four And Looking Forward To Another New Year!!

Another year has passed by and I am celebrating my FOURTH year of blogging and still going strong! I am continuing to increase my readership and improve my photos (many have been accepted on food sites like Tastespotting, Foodgawker, and Healthy Aperture!)  I also joined the Recipe ReDux group and have been enjoying creating recipes for their monthly challenge! This has been a great year of developing lots of yummy and healthy recipes too, especially my protein bars!  Thanks so much for all your support and I look forward to another fun year of cooking and blogging!  Here’s to a awesome new year- but first, here are some of my favorite recipes of 2012!  

Oat Raisin Cookie Dough Protein Bars

 Vegan Pumpkin Almond Oat Cookies or Bars 

Lentil Taco Filling

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Summer Squash Noodles

Single Serve Banana Pecan Baked Oats

Greek Chicken Pizza

Sausage And Brussels Skillet

Almond Cranberry White Chocolate Oat Squares

Read more...

Zucchini Spaghetti Primavera- Recipe ReDux Post # 8

I cannot believe that Christmas is almost here and I am knee deep in the holiday season already!  Luckily most of my shopping is done and I have picked out a lot of fun gifts too.  Speaking of gifts....this month's Recipe ReDux challenge is focused on that very subject- picking a favorite cooking "Gadget Gift"  and sharing a recipe that uses it.  Well my choice would have to be the julienne peeler, specifically the one made by Kuhn Rikon. I have previously featured this lovely tool in August in both my Summer Squash Noodle Tutorial and Zucchini Caprese Salad posts and today I will highlight it a bit more.  It is easy to use and clean and I find it works great to make thin shreds of veggies for salads or to use them cooked as faux noodles. It costs about $15.00 and I bought mine on Amazon.com.  Some features the manufacturer points out about it are that it "cuts food in one motion, has a stainless steel blade, has an easy to grip two-toned handle and it is dishwasher safe." A recent recipe that I have created using it is Zucchini Spaghetti Primavera- it's chocked full of veggies, low in calories and its red and green hues are perfect for the season.  Enjoy and happy holidays!!  Also check below to see some additional great Gadget Gifts and recipes that use them from the talented bloggers and members of the Recipe ReDux group.

Ingredients:

4 cups raw zucchini “noodles” SEE how to make these HERE

3 cups sliced mushrooms

½ cup chopped white onion

2 cups chopped sweet bell pepper (red, yellow recommended)

2 teaspoons olive oil

¼-½  teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup of your favorite basic marinara sauce (if you like it “saucier” you can add a bit more!)

chopped basil (optional for serving)

parmesan cheese (optional for serving)

Directions:

Coat a large pan with the olive oil, add the mushrooms, peppers and onion and sauté on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned and softened.  Add the zucchini noodles, marinara sauce, garlic and mix well and then continue to heat for about 5-7 minutes covered, stirring occasionally, until softened and cooked through.  Top with basil and parmesan cheese if desired.

Makes a little over 4 cups, 4 servings

Serving size: A little over 1 cup (not including cheese)Calories  90 Protein 4 g Carb 13 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 7 g Fat 3 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium  300 mg 

get the InLinkz code

Read more...

Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad With Cranberries and Almonds

 

Brussels sprout salads are all the rage right now and I just HAD to jump on the bandwagon and create one J This recipe is a nice blend of sweet and savory and it makes a great holiday side dish with its red and green hues!

Ingredients:

8 cups Brussels sprouts, stems trims and halved 

2 tablespoons slivered almonds

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

salt and pepper

cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and trim stems of Brussels sprouts and cut into halves. Place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray and roast for 20-30 minutes, (turn/toss them half way through) until lightly browned and tender but firm when pierced with a fork.  Let cool and set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the olive oil, mustard, maple syrup.  Chop up the cooled Brussels sprouts and add them along with the cranberries and almonds to the bowl and mix well until evenly coated with dressing.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill in the fridge if not serving immediately.

Makes 8 cups 8 servings

Serving size: 1 cup Calories 110 Protein 3 g Carb 12 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 5 g Fat 6 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 65 mg

 

Read more...

Simple But Delicious Homemade Applesauce

 

Once you make this, you may never want store bought applesauce again!!

Ingredients:

7 cups of peeled, cored and cut apples (chop into about 1 inch chunks), best to use sweet, softer varieties- I used Gala

1.5 cups water

optional add ins: maple sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract

Directions:

Bring the water to a boil on high heat in a large pot, add the apples and reduce to medium low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until apples are very tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain the water out in a colander and transfer the cooked apples into a medium bowl.  Mash with a fork until the desired consistency is reached.  If you would like to add a little sweetness, stir in 1-2 teaspoons maple sugar (or brown sugar) and you can also add a dash or two of cinnamon and a splash vanilla for some flair. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes 3 cups, 6 servings

Serving size: 1 /2 cup Calories 80 Protein 0 g Carb 20 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 15 g Fat 0 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 0 mg

Read more...

Gingerbread Pancakes

 

I have never been a major fan of ginger (maybe a hint here and there in a baked good, a soup or a stir fry),  well that was until I discovered the flavor synergy that is gingerbread!  The combo of ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves,  nutmeg and brown sugar plus a splash of molasses takes the flavor to a whole new level!! That flavor in this recipe is not overwhelming but just enough.  These pancakes are easy to prepare, will give your kitchen an amazing aroma and make your taste buds very happy - perfect for the approaching winter and holiday season!  I have a hunch that I will be creating some more ginger bread themed recipes soon :)

Ingredients:

1 cup oat flour (if you are on a gluten free diet use a brand such as Bob’s Red Mill or
you can make your own to by grinding gluten free oats in food processor)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon  pumpkin pie spice (you can use plain cinnamon if you don’t have any)
1 teaspoon molasses
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup egg whites
½ cup nonfat milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a small bowl combine the baking powder, flour, ginger, pie spice (cinnamon) and brown sugar together.  To a larger bowl add the egg whites, molasses, vanilla, applesauce and milk and mix together. Then slowly whisk in the flour mixture until a smooth, thin batter is formed. Let the batter sit for 10-15 minutes to thicken.  (If you are making this the night before, or storing the leftover batter, you will need to add splash of milk to thin it out a bit right before cooking. Add ¼ cup (for 1 pancake) to a non stick skillet, or one coated with cooking spray and heat on high heat for 1-2 minutes each side.  Repeat with ¼ cup mixture 4-5 more times for a total of 5-6 small pancakes.

Makes about 5-6 pancakes

 Serving size: 1 pancake Calories 80 Protein 2 g Carb 13 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 4 g Fat 1.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 35 mg

Read more...

Quinoa Stuffed Mushrooms- Recipe ReDux Post # 7

The theme for this month’s Recipe ReDux challenge is centered on “Vintage Side Dishes”- very timely with the Thanksgiving holiday approaching!  I was a bit stumped with this one because I have already “ReDuxed” a bunch of my family recipes, like Texas Hash, Dumplings, Cucumber Salad, Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes  to name a few.  I have been wanting to re-make a stuffed mushroom recipe for awhile now and luckily when I started looking up vintage recipes on the Web, stuffed mushrooms were definitely among the “old school” favs listed- a perfect choice!  Most traditional stuffed mushrooms call for less than healthy ingredients like refined white breadcrumbs, fat laden butter and cream cheese as well as sausage and bacon.  I decided to put my own healthy twist by using the super grain quinoa, low fat cream cheese, turkey bacon and just a touch of parmesan cheese. The result was a delicious and flavorful stuffed mushroom that is actually low fat and low calorie too!  Try these as a great appetizer for your next party! And check out the some of these other great “Vintage Side Dish” recipes by the talented bloggers from the Recipe ReDux Clan!

Ingredients:

12 large button mushrooms

½ cup cooked quinoa

2 slices turkey bacon

3 tablespoons finely chopped white onion

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons vegetable or chicken broth

1/8- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

3 T cream cheese

4 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Remove stems from mushrooms and set aside. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Coat a small pan with 1 teaspoon olive oil and add the onions.  Sauté on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the cooked quinoa, broth and garlic powder and cook for another 3-4 minutes.  Remove from the heat, let cool a bit, then transfer to a small bowl and then stir in the cream cheese. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet and divide/add the filling to them. Bake for 15 minutes, until starting to brown. Remove from oven top with parmesan cheese, and bake for another 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly toasted.

Makes 12 servings

Serving size: 1 mushroom  Calories 40 Protein 2 g Carb 3 g Fiber 0 g Sugars 1 g Fat 2.5 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 85 mg

Read more...

Fabulous Food Finds: Nature’s Best Isopure Whey Protein Isolate

I am all for using whole, natural foods in my recipes and diet so when I found myself looking for a protein powder to add a little protein power to my smoothies, oatmeal and recipes I was very excited to find Nature's Best IsopureWhey Protein Isolate when searching online.  I have tried many protein powers before but they either tasted too chalky or had too many artificial ingredients and additives.  Isopure is a great name for this product because that’s what it is, pure natural protein without any artificial colors or ingredients. “Pure naked protein” is what is appropriately stated on the container!   Whey protein is derived from milk, yet this brand has the lactose removed which is great news for those with lactose intolerance.  I have found few other lactose free whey protein powders like this one.  I also like the fact that it is unflavored and easily mixes into smoothies, oatmeal and has worked really well in a line of protein bar recipes that I have developed and will soon be revealing.  One scoop of this powder contains 110 calories 0 fat/carbs/sugars and 26 grams of high quality protein.  (A scoop is about 4 tablespoons so sometimes I’ll just add 1 tablespoon to a smoothie for 6 grams of protein, which is equivalent to about an ounce of protein). Whey protein contains branched chained amino acids (BCAAs) that are thought to aid in muscle recovery after exercise.  I buy mine online via Amazon.com and it costs a little over 40 dollars with free shipping, though I believe it is available at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe too. Try a tablespoon or two in my Strawberry Banana, Watermelon, or Berry-nana smoothies and look for it in some upcoming protein bar recipes I will post too!

Read more...