All posts tagged: eating well

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.

healthy eating: yogurt with caramelized figs

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While adjusting to my new eating regiment (going on week three), I have to incorporate at least 6oz of plain yogurt with some sort of fresh fruit on a daily basis. Since the recipe never indicated which brand of yogurt to consider, I decided to go with my favorite yogurt complimented with fresh organic  blueberries. I loved the combination until of course I came across this recipe and my world hasn’t been the same since: Yogurt topped with Caramelized Figs 1 cup Yogurt of choice (I used Fage Plain Yogurt) 2 Figs, halved 3 Tbsp Organic Agave Sprinkles of Pistachio Nuts Dashes of Ground Cinnamon To caramelize the figs, add agave to a small skillet and place figs face down. Simmer over low heat until browned and toasty smelling (3-4 minutes). Place yogurt into bowl, drizzle over caramelized figs and sprinkle over pistachios and dashes of cinnamon. {click here for photo credit}

healthy eating: israeli or mediterranean salad – a twist to salsa and chips

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I took a couple of days off to run inland just to see sun and visit with a  very special person in my life. The only trouble going from 50degree foggy weather to a 102degree muggy hot dry weather is that I, not only don’t want to do anything, but I also don’t want to eat. So to solve the eating dilemma, the first thing we do was go to the market and buy fruits and vegetables to make salads , which would last us throughout my visit plus a couple of days more.  Before the market and while I waited for her to wake up in the morning,  I scrolled through my favorite recipes to see what I want to try next. I came across this recipe and decided to try it. It reminds me of fresh salsa, which I love to eat with tortilla chips. So what I plan to do is, instead of tortilla chips,  eat them with toasted pita chips to stay in tune with the mediterranean theme. Israeli Salad  Try to …

healthy eating: roasted eggplant sandwich

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Eggplant is definitely one of my favorite vegetables but I am particular on how they are prepared.  Although most restaurants and delis pride themselves in offering eggplant sandwich on their menus, often times I find how they have prepared them isn’t  pleasing to my seasoned pallete.   I think the key to serving a successful eggplant dish or sandwich is  slicing them thin enough to cook or roast properly and so they absorb the  flavor they are often times soaked in. Of course, my eastern european culture offers many vartiations of preparing eggplants, but I think I am going to only share a favorite sandwich of mine from here: Roasted Eggplant Sandwich Eggplants and onions are caramelized in the oven then refreshed with a sprinkling of lemon juice and chives. For a gourmet spin on this roasted veggie sandwich, slather the bread with pesto* on one side and rosemary cannellini bean spread* on the other INGREDIENTS •2 medium eggplant, quartered & cut into 1/4 inch slices •2 red onions, quartered & cut into 1/4 inch slices •1/4 …

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 eating: creamy light mac and cheese

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Who doesn’t love mac and cheese America? Sorry everyone else, but the thing is, mac and cheese is probably the most consumed food in the U.S., especially by folks with little kids and  those who are very young at heart. Of course, although delicious, the dish comes with a price to pay, because it is basically full of “probably” everything that isn’t good for you. Because of my family’s commitment to eat healthy, I  have stayed away from  making mac and cheese for the longest time, until of course today, when I decided to search for a healthier mac and cheese recipe, so that I could introduce this tasty dish back into my household. You can either go here to get the recipe or scroll below and if you happen to make it, please let me know what you think of this version? Ingredients 3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 [1-pound] squash) 1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk 2 garlic cloves 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons fat-free …

healthy eating: spinach, strawberry, walnut and parmesan salad

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Lately, since the weather has been so cold and gray in San Francisco, I have done nothing but search for comfort food to get me by. Even though I maintain healthy eating habits, for some strange reason, this “summer” I crave what is not that good for me or maybe it is, depending on how you are looking at it. Anyway, I decided to turn to my favorite site here, for a salad recipe, hoping it would inspire me enough to get back to what’s really good for me, even if we haven’t seen the sun or felt the warmth of the summer for the last 60+ days 🙂 Spinach Salad with Strawberry, Walnut, and Parmesan Shavings Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net Walnut pieces, toasted Baby spinach Strawberries, sliced Parmesan cheese shavings 2 tbsp light olive oil or canola oil 1 1/2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste I actually loved it and what the best thing is, it is very easy to make.  Let …