All posts filed under: healthy foods

no ordinary recipe: orange fennel cake

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I probably make a pit stop at Starbucks at least once a week, to treat myself to a shot of no frills espresso and a low-fat lemon mini loaf. The combination is amazing. Zesty lemon, not too much sugar, paired with coffee all black. So, you can imagine how excited I was to discover this amazing recipe – using mostly orange zest to create a similar cake I just cannot resist. Toasted Fennel & Orange Morning Cakes (makes 6 mini bundt cakes) 3 cups finely ground almond flour, packed ( I used Honeyville) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 TBS fennel seeds 3 eggs 1/4 cup whole milk yogurt 1/4 cup honey 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/3 cup fresh orange juice zest from one orange Preheat oven to 350F and grease your mini bundt pan. *You may use a muffin pan but note that the baking time may vary. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Toast the fennel seeds until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Crush or chop fine and set aside. Combine the almond flour, salt, …

healthy recipes: skinny red velvet cupcakes

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My weakness for sure, red velvet cupcakes. I can eat them by the dozen and make them everyday meal replacement if I had it my way. But, since I have to watch my weight and eat right, blah blah blah, 🙂  I decided it was time to search for a ‘skinny’ version of this wonderful dessert. I found the recipe here: Skinny Red Velvet Cupcakes Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes Servings: 26 • Serving Size: 1 cupcake • Calories: 141 • Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts 1 1/2 cups cake flour 1 cup white whole wheat flour 1 cup sugar 1 tbsp unsweetened dutch-process cocoa 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp white vinegar 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 egg 2 egg whites 2 tsp vanilla 1 1/3 cup light buttermilk 1 tbsp red food coloring Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins with liners. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flours, salt, cocoa, and baking powder. In another large bowl beat sugar, applesauce and butter. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix baking soda and vinegar. Add half of the dry ingredients …

healthy snack: vacation inspired granola bar recipe

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First day back from any vacation is always the hardest, especially from a relaxing one. (Meaning mostly spent by the poolside or under an umbrella at the beach, sipping cool drinks). The funny thing was, while I wondered what to post on my blog at the start the week after a vacation, I came across the perfect recipe to make the transition and bring a little of the island back with me. Tropical Chewy Granola Bars Makes 12-16 bars Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. chia seeds + 6 Tbsp. water 2 cups / 200g rolled oats (certified gluten-free if possible) ½ cup / 150g raw buckwheat groats 1 cup / 50g coconut flakes ¾ cup / 100g macadamia nuts, chopped 60g / 2 oz. dried banana, chopped (or Medjool dates) 60g / 2 oz. dried mango, chopped ¼ cup / 60ml coconut oil 1/3 cup / 80ml honey (or maple syrup) 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 tsp. extract) 2 very ripe bananas ½ tsp. coarse sea salt Directions: 1. In a small bowl, combine chia …

healthy cooking: lemon coconut pancakes

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While I searched online for a new pancake mix recipe for the Easter morning breakfast  I had in mind and of course while staying  on my healthy eating kick, I discovered one, similar to pancakes I’d eaten at a restaurant in Emeryville, California several weeks ago and figured I’d try it. (Phew!!!) So, here it goes: Lemon Coconut Pancakes with Honey-Tart Yogurt Sauce 1 cup Gluten-Free flour 1 tsp Baking Powder 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 1 cup Brown Sugar 2 eggs 1 cup Coconut Milk 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil Juice of 1 Lemon 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract Yogurt Sauce 1/4 cup Plain Yogurt of Choice (Goat, Sheep, Cow) 1 Tbsp Honey 2 tsp Strawberry Preserves Juice of 1/2 a Lemon Mix all ingredients together well; set aside and serve with pancakes First, mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, and set aside. In a separate bowl mix all the wet ingredients together and whisk well. Slowly stir in wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients, and mix thoroughly until a smooth batter …

healthy eating: cauliflower dough pizza

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Can a recipe get any better than this? Cauliflower dough pizza plus your favorite veggies and you have an amazing alternative to  everyone’s favorite meal. No seriously I must be feeling better, because the first thing I craved today was pizza, but not the doughy kind, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I found a healthy recipe here and wanted to share, like I normally do when I am happy about something. Healthy + Gluten Free Pizza with a Cauliflower Crust Prep time 15 mins Cook time 35 mins Total time 50 mins   Author: Eating Bird Food Serves: 8 Ingredients ½ head cauliflower (about 2 cups riced) 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon basil 1 teaspoon oregano   Instructions Pre-heat oven to 400° F. Prep a cookie sheet or pizza stone. You can grease the cookie sheet or use greased aluminum foil. It will stick if you don’t grease it properly. (I used a Pampered Chef baking stone, which doesn’t require any prep if …

healthy eating: lavendar granola

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I have to say I love granola, more so soaked in Almond Milk than over yogurt, although I’m not that picky. But the store bought version tends to have too much sugar, which is something I am trying to definitely cut down.  So, I was happy to find the recipe from here to try and also to share.  The only difference is, although, I love lavendar, I prefer not to incorporate it in my food, so I substituted the exotic flavor with a dash of cinnamon (my favorite) instead. Lavender Granola Ingredients: 2 cups Oats 1/4 cup Flax Seeds 3/4 Nuts of choice or mix them all! (A mix of almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds) 1 tsp Vanilla 4 Tbsp Honey 1 Tbsp Lavender Buds Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, bring all ingredients together and mix well. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden, dry and toasty. Let cool, then transfer to a mason jar to store. Serve over yogurt and top with fresh berries …

healthy recipe: fajita burgers

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As I stated many times before I eat healthy and with that there are many sacrifices I have made in order to stay within the guidlines of eating well.  On occassion, however, I crave the fat, the cheesy, the breads and carbs and when I stumble upon a recipe which gives me the chance to indulge in a healthy way, I jump right on it. Here’s one recipe I absolutely love and have included in my monthly menu planning. Ingredients 1 pound 90%-lean ground beef 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1/4 cup chopped scallions 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon chili powder, preferably New Mexican 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo, (see Ingredient Note) 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 4 French rolls, preferably whole-wheat, split and toasted 2 roasted Anaheim or poblano peppers, (see Tip) 1 cup shredded green cabbage 4 slices tomato …

healthy recipe: glazed beat and carrot salad

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Normally, on the weekends, I seldom crave wholesome foods. By that I mean, pastas, meats, potatoes, rice, even peanut butter and in all reality a good cup of coffee will do just fine, except when I come across an amazing salad from my favorite site here. Then I just can’t stop craving. GLAZED BEET + CARROT SALAD // Serves 4 1/2 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 2 large yellow beets, roasted and peeled, cut into 1/2” wedges 3 carrots, halved, large halves quartered if needed sea salt + pepper 2 tsp. honey 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. tahini 1 Tbsp. orange or lemon juice 1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, divided 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 12 cups mixed baby lettuces 1/3 cup cooked garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds, white or black or mixed In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the carrots and beets and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring …

healthy snacking: cherry-almond power bar

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I love dried cherries and will probably eat them by the pound, almost on a daily basis. I also love almonds, not as much as dried cherries, but will reach for them more than any other nut. So, I couldn’t have been happier to discover this recipe and I have to tell you, it is probably one of the best recipes for anyone with a sweet tooth and on a health kick. Cherry-Almond Power Bars *makes 8 large bars 2 ½ cups unblanched slivered almonds 1/3 cup flaxseed meal 2/3 cup dried cherries 1/3 cup dried cranberries 2-3 tablespoon raw hemp seeds (optional) 8 drops liquid stevia 1 pinch of sea salt 2 tablespoon water Place almonds, flax meal, cherries, cranberries, hemp seeds, stevia and salt in food processor. Pulse until ground and then pulse in water until the mixture begins to form a solid ball. Press mixture firmly into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish lined with wax paper. Slice into bars and serve.