All posts filed under: healthy cooking

healthy recipe: chile with chocolate and chipotle

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I love chile, but hate the ground meat version of it, so for this weekend’s football party I wanted to make a pot of chile and serve it up with some amazing San Francisco sourdough, cheddar cheese and lots of chopped onions. Check out the recipe I found here Ingredients Cooking spray 2 cups diced onion (about 1 large) 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, minced 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup light sour cream Chopped green onions (optional) Preparation Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and turkey to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until turkey is browned and vegetables are tender. Add sugar and next 9 ingredients (through chipotle) to pan, stirring to blend; bring …

light recipe: glazed figs with mascarpone cream

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I love fresh figs and will probably eat an entire basket of them any chance I get, so last night or early this morning, since I couldn’t sleep, I decided to search online for a recipe I wanted to try over the weekend and found it here. The funny thing is, around the bay area, we can find fresh figs at a local market pretty much the entire year, no matter if they are out of season. Anyway, check out the recipe and let me know what you think? Keep in mind if you have nut allergies, to avoid the walnuts. Ingredients Cream: 2 cups mascarpone 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons icing sugar (confectioners’) Glazed Figs: 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon orange zest 1 pint fresh figs, halved 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped Special equipment: an electric mixer Directions For the cream: In an electric mixer whip the mascarpone until smooth. Continue whipping and slowly add the cream in a steady stream. Add the sugar and whip for 3 minutes. For the …

healthy eating: avocado and roast carrot salad

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The best thing about finding a great recipe like this, is that in between Christmas and the New Years festivites, I can actually take a break from all the goodies of the holiday season and indulge in something healthy. Recipe 1 pound medium differently colored carrots, with their leafy tops • 2 level teaspoons whole cumin seeds • 1 or 2 small dried chillies, crumbled • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled • 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked • extra virgin olive oil • red or white wine vinegar • 1 orange, halved • 1 lemon, halved • 3 ripe avocados • red wine vinegar • 4 x ½-inch-thick slices of ciabatta or other • good-quality bread • 2 handfuls of interesting mixed winter salad leaves (like Treviso, arugula, radicchio or cavolo nero tops), washed and spun dry • 2 bunches of cress • 2⁄3 cup of sour cream • 4 tablespoons mixed seeds, toasted Preheat the oven to 350°F. Parboil your carrots in boiling, salted …

side dishes galore for thanksgiving dinner

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I  spent this past weekend, choosing my recipes and planning my  Thanksgiving menu.  Since I am not a fan of turkey and neither are the members of my family, it is very important to have a fun selection of side dishes which are not only easy to prepare but also fun to eat. So below are the side dishes on my menu for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner. {Click on the photo to get the recipe}

thanksgiving wish – healthy side dish

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I love the holiday but hate turkey, is that so bad? No matter how the bird has been cooked and prepped, I absolutely cannot stand eating more than a sliver just to keep the chef- for- the- day happy. So, this year, I am actually involved in the prep work and since most of the participants are as conscious of eaters as I have become in the last 10 plus years, I am going to introduce side dishes which truly offer wholesome nutrition without having to watch the calories. First up is Shaved Parsnip Salad, which I found here,  and which will be the first course. Ingredients 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 2 hearts of romaine, cut into bite-size pieces 3 parsnips (about 8 ounces), peeled and shaved very thinly (on a mandolin or with a vegetable peeler) 4 medjool or 6 regular dates, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch pieces Directions Whisk together vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss parsnips, …

healthy baking: fall cake recipe

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I am not a fan of frosted bland layer cakes. I  much prefer bundt cakes made with dried fruits and nuts, maybe some fresh lemon or orange peel shavings (aka rinds), and definitely infused with  cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Since this type of cake is not very popular in the U.S., most restaurants and cafes offer either carrot cake or zucchini bread as an alternative. So I usually order either to give me the fix I need, if and when I crave for a slice of  “robust” cake. I want to state here that I can only tolerate the cream frosting on either cake since it actually and truly compliments the flavors throughout it. Over the weekend, while I searched for a cake to bake for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, I came across this visually amazing blog and found an interesting recipe for a cake which I wanted to share with everyone who comes across my blog and also make for this year’s Thanksgiving dessert table. Harvest Cake (Makes 1-9inch cake, to make a layered cake …

comfort food – lasagna with caramelized onions

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Eating healthy is a challenge during the colder months of the year, and although I maintain a pretty regimented meal plan on a weekly basis, once in a while I crave the greasiest, the fattiest meal and no matter how much I fight the crave, I give in to it, once a week. Here is a recipe I found, as usual from my favorite site here, which I cannot wait to try over the weekend and of course share with everyone, who is very loyal to my blog. Let me know what you think? Ground Beef, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna: Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net 1 tbsp olive oil, more if needed 2 sweet yellow onions, sliced thickly 1 pound of lean ground beef (I used 93/7) 1 tsp dried basil 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp onion powder 1 pinch of red pepper flakes Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese 1 egg 1 …

healthy cooking: artichoke ravioli

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Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net  I found this recipe when I was searching for a pasta dish which, of course, had to be healthier than the norm.  When I read the ingredients I knew I had to try it. Sure enough it was delicious, especially with piled shredded parmesan cheese. Artichoke Ravioli with Spinach, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, and Squash: Artichoke ravioli (or flavor of your choice), cooked per instructions 2 tsp olive oil 1/4 red onion, cut into large pieces 1 cup of mushrooms, quartered 1/2 zucchini, diced 1/2 yellow squash, diced 1/2 cup of grape tomatoes 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 cup of baby spinach Basil olive oil Asiago cheese, shredded Fresh basil leaves Cook the ravioli per instructions (while the vegetables are cooking). Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the zucchini, squash, and grape tomatoes then cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the spinach and minced garlic. Cook for an …