Carrot “Cake” Baked Oats

 

An easy healthy breakfast- for you or the Easter Bunny :)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup rolled oats (if you are on a gluten-free diet use a gluten-free brand such as Bob’s Red Mill)
1 egg white (2 Tablespoons liquid egg whites)
1 Tablespoon milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 tablespoons finely grated carrots
1 tablespoon raisins
1 tablespoon chopped pecans
a dash of cinnamon
a dash of nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Spoon into a small ramiken or small oven safe baking dish coated with cooking spray and let sit for 10- 15 minutes for the oats to absorb the liquid a bit. Bake for about 25 minutes, until top is firm and inside is slightly soft.

Makes one serving

Serving size 1 baked oat dish Calories 260 Protein 8 g Carb 44 g Fiber 5 g Sugars 23 g Fat 7 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 90 mg

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Recipe Redux Post # 11- Triple B Snack Smoothie

The Recipe ReDux Theme for March just happened to be “Green with Herb Envy” and we were encouraged to “use fresh green herbs in a non-traditional way”. One of my favorite green herbs is basil and I have been curious about how it would taste in a smoothie. This recipe challenge was the perfect opportunity to try it.  Basil actually worked quite well in the smoothie and gave it a snappy and fresh taste I have use blueberries and strawberries in smoothies before, but never blackberries so I decided to throw them in the mix as well. Add a banana and milk base and voila!!.... behold the triple B smoothie- blackberries, banana and basil (plus milk), a clean, simple and delicious combination.  Hope you try it and also enjoy checking out the other interesting and fun use of green herbs by the rest of the Recipe ReDux group.

Ingredients:

½ frozen banana

½ cup fresh blackberries

1-2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil

½ cup fat free or low fat milk (I used and suggest  unsweetened almond milk)

Directions:

Add all the ingredients to a blender and mix on high for 30 seconds to a minute, until well blended. Serve and enjoy.  Note: if the blackberries used are not super sweet, add a tiny bit of your favorite sweetener.

Makes 1 serving

Serving size: the whole recipe,1 smoothie Calories100 Protein 2 g Carb 21 g Fiber 6 g  Sugars 11 g Fat 2 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 90 mg

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Almond Yogurt Apple Sauce For Pancakes or French Toast

A simple sauce that is a nice lower sugar alternative to maple syrup!

Ingredients:

½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt

4 teaspoons almond butter (I used Traders Joes Raw Crunchy)

4 teaspoons unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons milk (I used Trader Joes unsweetened almond milk)

2-4 drops almond extract

a dash of cinnamon

Directions:

Put all of the ingredients in a small bow and mix well, chill if not serving immediately.

Makes 12 tablespoons, six servings

Calories 35 Protein 3 g Carb 2 g Fiber 0  g Sugars 1 g Fat 2 g Saturated fat  0 g Sodium 10 mg

 

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Cornflake Chicken

Like chicken nuggets- but more refined and healthy!

Ingredients:

¼ teaspoon garlic powder and a few dashes of salt and pepper
2 cups crushed cornflakes
16 ounces raw chicken breasts (about 4 average or 2 very large)
1/4 cup egg whites
2 tablespoons buttermilk or kefir

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the cornflakes, pepper and salt in a small bowl then spread it on a large plate. Mix the egg whites and buttermilk/kefir in a small plate or shallow bowl. Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture to wet each side and then coat each side with cornflakes. Place the coated chicken breasts on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and bake for 12-15 minutes. Flip them over and bake for another 12-15 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center.

Makes 4 servings

Serving size: 1 small chicken breast (or 1/2 large) Calories 230 Protein 36 g Carb 13 g Fiber 0 g Sugars 2 g Fat 3.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 260 mg

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Recipe ReDux Post # 10 Maple Spaghetti Squash With Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Ok I have to admit I was initially pretty stumped about what to create for the Recipe ReDux challenge this month- “Oscars In The Kitchen”. When I read the “in honor of the Oscars, create a healthy recipe inspired by your favorite food scene or featured dish from any movie. (It doesn't have to be a movie up for an Oscar.)”... I thought “#@#!” what the world am I going to make?  Even though I love to cook, and food and nutrition is my profession, I actually realized that I never really pay much attention to food scenes in movies and could barely remember any. So I turned to trusty Google to jog my memory and luckily was immediately provided with a bunch of choices.  When I saw the Maple syrup on spaghetti scene from the move Elf  listed, an interesting and fun idea popped into my head. I decided to do a twist on this theme using pure maple syrup (which is one of my favorite sweeteners BTW) to flavor spaghetti squash. I love maple syrup on other squashes like butternut and acorn so I figured it might possibly work on spaghetti squash as well. It SURELY did!! Sautéing pre-cooked spaghetti squash in a little olive oil and maple syrup creates a heavenly flavor and adding walnuts and goat cheese just takes it over the top!! This dish is almost like a decadent treat or dessert but it actually is chocked full of antioxidants and healthy unsaturated fat too.  Try it!!! And don’t forget to check out all the other cool movie themed dishes created by the talented bloggers in the Recipe ReDux group! 

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked spaghetti squash (see how to cook HERE)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1 ounce crumbled goat cheese

salt (optional, to taste)

Directions:

Add the olive oil and maple syrup to a medium sized pan and warm on medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Throw in the spaghetti squash and sautés, (stirring well to coat it with the olive oil/syrup) until almost warmed through, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle in the walnuts and mix well while continuing to cook for another 2-3 minutes until the squash is beginning to brown.  Salt to taste, transfer to a serving dish, add the goat cheese and serve.

Makes 3 cups, 6 servings

Serving size: ½ cup of recipe  Calories 110 Protein 2 g Carb 9 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 5 g Fat  8 g Saturated fat  1.5 g Sodium  30 mg

(note: analysis does not include salt if added)

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Lovely Snack Mix

Now here is a treat you can feel good about giving your loved ones.. yes it is technically “something sweet” but there is also fiber, omega 3’s and antioxidants in it too, from the chocolate cranberries and nuts, which certainly which certainly justifies having a handful or two as dessert or a snack. Sooooo easy to make and just 5 simple ingredients. So mix some up for your Valentine, to serve at that next party, or even make a batch just for yourself!

Ingredients:

4 cups rice chex (I suggest cinnamon or honey nut)

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup dried cranberries

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (if you are on a gluten-free diet use a GF brand such as Nestle)

cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Combine cereal, walnuts, cranberries and chocolate chips together in a large bowl, add a dash or two of cinnamon if desired and store in an airtight container

Makes 6.5 cups, 13 servings

Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories 160 Protein 2  g Carb 22  g Fiber 2 g Sugars 13 g Fat  9 g  Saturated fat 1.5  g Sodium  65 mg

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Guest Recipes and Nutrition News From The California Dried Plums Board!

I was excited when the California Dried Plums Board contacted me offering the opportunity to share some of their nutrition info and recipes with my readers. Their spokesperson, Gold Medalist Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin has developed a bunch of great, healthy recipes with dried plums that you should take a look at!! The site also is a wealth of information about all the potential health benefits that come with eating dried plums such as digestive and heart health and improvement of bone density for postmenopausal women. So check out some of Natalie's recipes that I have featured below and head over to the California Dried Plums site if you would like some more great info about dried plums! I am looking forward to developing some recipes with them too!!

Natalie's Snack Bars

Natalie's Brownies

Natalie’s Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle Tomato Sauce and California Dried Plums

Natalie’s Pizzettas with California Dried Plums & Caramelized Onions

Natalie’s Risotto with California Dried Plums and Radicchio

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