Category: Spring

Fruit-on-Bottom Yogurt Cups

Published on by AlissaLeave a comment

I’m a snacker. I love to snack throughout the day, eating one snack around 10am and another one around 3pm.  Snacking keeps my blood sugar in check and also keeps me from eating everything in sight once I get home.  One of my favorite snacks is yogurt!

Prepackaged yogurt cups have a lot of added sugar and preservatives. You can save money and have a tastier treat by making your own. I buy organic plain yogurt. Plain greek yogurt is also a great alternative which has over twice the protein as plain yogurt and is ultra creamy. Buying bulk plain yogurt is a lot cheaper and you can keep it on hand to use in other recipes (as an alternative to sour cream in dips, on tacos).

Fruit-on-Bottom Yogurt Cups

Ingredients

Organic plain yogurt (greek style, whole fat, or low fat)

Yogurt Option Add-ins:

  • unsweetened applesauce (add a dash of cinnamon for a kick)
  • 1/4 cup fruit (blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, peaches, whatever you have), frozen or fresh
  • 1 teaspoon no added sugar fruit preserves
  • dried fruit (cranberries, figs, apples, apricots)
  • vanilla extract
  • fresh sliced or chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc)

Instructions

  1. If using frozen fruit, thaw in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds. Add fruit, preserves, or applesauce  (or combination of these ingredients) to the bottom of a container.
  2. Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of plain yogurt. Top with a sprinkle of nuts, vanilla extract, or dried cranberries.

Warm Hummus Dip with Sweet Potato Chips

Published on by Alissa7 Comments

Today, I am going to share some recipes that are big money savers and healthy.  You will learn to cook dried beans, prepare a dip from those beans, and make sweet potato chips (from scratch) to transport that bean dip to your mouth.  This is, of course, Food Matters Monday and the main recipe (warm hummus) is brought to you by the Food Matters Project.

Number 1 – COOK BEANS FROM SCRATCH. Seriously. Easy and cheap. Yes, canned beans are cheap anyways, but cooking your own is cheaper, tastier, and healthier (no added salt and BPA from cans). One pound of dried beans (about 2.5 cups) will make over 6 cups of cooked beans. One pound of dried beans costs the same as one can (less than 2 cups) of beans.  Rinse and pick through 1 pound of dried beans (any variety), removing rocks and bad beans. Soak the beans overnight (at least 8 hours). Drain and rins, refilling the crockpot with the soaked beans and water (no salt) until the water is about 1 inch over the beans.  Cook in your crockpot on low all day while you are at work (8 to 10 hours).  Now, you will have a crap ton of beans. Separate the beans in freezer safe ziplock bags, placing 2 cup portions in each bag. Freeze. Pull them out when you need them in a dish, soup, or dip.

Number 2 – MAKE YOUR OWN HUMMUS. Stop buying store bought dips. Now. After you have made your own huge pot of garbanzo beans following the directions above, throw three cups of those beans, some of the cooking liquid, two heaping tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste), two tablespoons of olive oil, salt to taste, and several tablespoons of lemon juice into a food processor and whirl until smooth. Done. Hummus can be served both warm or cold. Really. Try it warm. You’ll dig it.

Hummus can be spiced a meriad of ways: roasted garlic, basil, roasted red peppers, curry powder…. I chose to separate my hummus into two dishes, adding smoked paprika to one batch and siracha garlic chili paste to the other. Following Mark Bittman’s recommendations in “Hummus Served Hot”, I warmed the paprika hummus over the stove for a new spin. I loved the creaminess that it added.

Number 3 – MAKE YOUR OWN CHIPS. I chose to do some sweet potato chips, seasoned with cumin, smoked paprika, and sea salt. So so so so addictive and delicious. They were great alone or dipped in the hummus. It is best to have a mandoline slicer to slice your vegetable about 1/8 inch thick. Also, another tip, keep the chips in a single layer on the baking sheet to keep them from getting soggy. They will crisp up much better when they are not crowded (speaking from experience).

So, branch out and try to make these things from scratch. Best treat in the world. You deserve it.

Check out Naturally Ella for the featured FMP recipe of Hummus Served Hot. Also, don’t forget to stop by the FMP website to see the other delicious spins on this recipe. Have a great Monday!

Warm Hummus Dip with Sweet Potato Chips (adapted from Mark Bittman’s The Food Matters Cookbook)

Hummus Ingredients

  • 3 cups of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
  • 1/4 cup of reserved cooking liquid from beans (or water)
  • 2 heaping tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste)
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of sea salt

Hummus Instructions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in food processor. Process until smooth. Add salt to taste.
  2. Optional mix ins: Saute garlic in olive oil and add garlic-flavored olive oil. Add 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika.

Sweet Potato Chips Ingredients:

  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced on a mandolin slicer 1/8 inch thick
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon of salt

Sweet Potato Chips Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. Combine sliced sweet potatoes and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss until all are covered with seasonings and olive oil.
  3. Place sweet potato chips in a single layer on two nonstick baking sheets, lined with parchment paper or sprayed with nonstick spray.
  4. Place on middle and top racks. Cook for 25 minutes, rotating sheets half way through cooking process.
  5. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, if necessary.

Seared Bean Sprout Salad with Sesame-Orange Dressing

Published on by Alissa12 Comments

What is a bean sprout? It’s the sprout from a germinated mung bean. Bean sprouts are usually used in asian cooking and provide a bright crunchy texture to a stir fry dish. I originally intended on sprouting my own mung beans (which is really easy), but I didn’t have time. It takes 5 to 7 days of soaking the mung beans in water (changing every 12 hours). But you can easily find bean sprouts at your local grocer or asian market.

Today’s recipe is brought to you by the Food Matters Project, which is a group of foodie bloggers dedicated to cooking our way through Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook. The original recipe was chosen by Dominica of Food Wine Love and was supposed to be Seared Bean Sprouts with Beef and Sesame-Orange Sauce. 

Although this looked both easy and delicious, I was on my way to a dinner party last night and needed to bring a side dish. I decided to turn the recipe into a bright and colorful salad, adding some shredded carrots, diced cucumber, and chopped cilantro. It was really easy to throw together and was definitely unique.

Check the FMP website to see what the other foodies chose to do with this recipe!

Seared Bean Sprout Salad with Sesame-Orange Dressing

Makes: 8 servings (as a side dish)

Salad Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon canola oil or coconut oil
  • 1 lb bean sprouts, rinsed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 bunch of scallions, green and white parts chopped
  • 2 carrots, shredded
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Dressing Ingredients

  • 2 oranges, juiced
  • zest of 1/2 orange
  • 1/2 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or grated
  • 2 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon tahini paste
  • 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon honey

Instructions:

  1. Add 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds to a DRY skillet. Cook on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, lightly toasting sesame seeds. Remove and set aside.
  2. Place 1 tablespoon of oil in skillet and heat over medium heat. When oil is hot (not smoking), toss in bean sprouts and salt. Stir fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove and place in colander. Run cold water over sprouts to stop them from cooking. You want them to still be crips.
  3. Add the sprouts, cucumber, shredded carrot, cilantro, and scallions to a medium serving bowl.
  4. Combine all dressing ingredients into a mason jar or lidded jar. Shake well. Pour over salad and stir.  Chill until you are ready to serve it. Toss before serving and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Huevos Rancheros with Black Beans

Published on by Alissa7 Comments

I loooooove breakfast. Lazy Sunday morning breakfast dates with my husband are the best thing on earth.  Our favorite breakfast joint back in Norman was a fabulous place called Turquoise Cafe. They were fresh, inventive, and used local ingredients. Brunch items included oatmeal brûlée, amazing huevos rancheros, and blue corn migas. I’d stab someone’s eye out with a spork for those migas or huevos. Ya, you heard me. Don’t stand in front of me and a good brunch, buddy.

But alas, Turquoise is no more (sniff sniff). It closed shortly after we moved due to some unfortunate circumstances. But, I still crave that food with a vengeance.

I have yet to find any breakfast joint in KC that comes close to Turquoise. We have searched near and far, and still nothing.

I set out to try to recreate the Huevos from that restaurant and I do believe that I have it down to a science, and, in my opinion, have perfected the recipe. Huevos Rancheros (Rachers Eggs) is a basic mexican breakfast that usually consists of fried eggs, tortillas, and cooked salsa.

I like to serve my huevos over black beans. This dish is SO freaking easy and quick. On a busy night, I often will whip this up for dinner. It seriously takes less than 10 minutes to put this meal together.

All you need is eggs, tortillas, cheese, black beans, and salsa. I think cilantro is a huge bonus but not a must. Luckily, my cilantro never gave up the ghost over our lackluster winter and I was able to run out there and nab some to sprinkle on the eggs.

Heat your oven to 350F and place tortillas with a sprinkle of cheese into the oven to melt the cheese. Use whatever cheese you have on hand: cheddar, pepper jack, goat cheese, or even parmesan….seriously.

I like to add a bit of ground cumin to black beans for a good earthy flavor, but it isn’t necessary if you do not have the spice. Add a bit of salsa to your black beans and heat in the microwave while the tortillas are warming in the oven. After the cheese is melted on the tortillas, put the tortillas on oven-proof serving plates and then place a bit of black beans down the middle of each tortilla. Lower the oven temp to 200 F and place the prepared plates in the oven to keep warm while making the eggs.

Fry or scramble some huevos (eggs) to top off the dish. I like my eggs over-medium with a great runny yolk. I recommend getting local, cage-free and farm fresh eggs, if possible. They taste and look so different than traditional store-bought eggs with amazing orange yolks instead of yellow. Mmmmm…love some good orange-yoked eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Huevos Rancheros with Black Beans

Note: On the serving size, I usually eat one egg and one tortilla whereas my husband eats two eggs and two tortillas. So, adjust your portion size according to your crowd.

Serves 2 

Ingredients

  • 2 to 4 huevos (eggs)
  • 2 to 4 corn tortillas
  • 2 cups (1 15oz can) of black beans
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cheese (whatever you have on hand)
  • 1/2 cup prepared salsa
  • Toppings – cilantro, green onions, extra cheese
  • salt and fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 F. Place tortillas on a baking sheet. Spray tortillas on both sides with nonstick spray. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of shredded cheese on each tortilla. Place in preheated oven. Once the cheese is melted (about 2 minutes), remove from oven. Reduce oven temp to 200F.
  2. Mix black beans, 1/4 cup salsa, cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt in a medium microwavable bowl. Microwave (or heat on the stove in a saucepan) for about 2 minutes, or until warmed through. Stir.
  3. Place 1 to 2 cheese-topped tortillas on each serving plate. Place about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of warmed black beans down the middle of each melted cheese-topped tortilla. Set aside or place oven-proof plates in 200F oven to keep warm.
  4. Cook eggs over medium (or however you desire). Remove warmed plates from oven. Place one egg on top of black beans. Sprinkle with cilantro, green onions, and extra cheese. Serve with salsa.

Flourless Fudge Brownies with Butterscotch Chips (Gluten Free)

Published on by Alissa2 Comments

I recently realized that I have been taking something small for granted. My thumbs. Ya. Those puppies are really useful.

This past weekend, I cut myself pretty bad on the knuckle of my thumb on my left hand. My whole left hand is bandaged up with butterfly sutures and gauze. Little things like brushing my teeth, tying my running shoes, and drinking coffee have become quite challenging.

So the lesson of the story, don’t take the little things for granted.

Like black beans, for example. I know, I know, I know….weird comparison, but black beans can be used for more than savory dishes like tacos, side dishes, and salads. They are the magic and secret ingredient in my flourless brownies. Shhhhhhhh!

I swear you would NEVER know if I didn’t tell you.  I adapted this recipe from a Whole Foods recipe and swapped the chocolate chips for butterscotch chips. I also cut down the quantity of butter, adding applesauce instead to keep them moist. The consistency of these brownies is more fudge-like.

These sweet treats taste amazing and have protein and fiber. They are so good that you will want to make these to show that you do not take black beans for granted. It’s also a great dessert to serve if you have any friends that have a gluten intolerance. To make this truly gluten free, make sure you use gluten free vanilla extract and gluten free butterscotch chips. Chocolate chips can be swapped for the butterscotch chips.  But seriously folks, go grab that extra can of black beans in your pantry and whirl up a batch of these.

Flourless Fudge Brownies with Butterscotch Chips (Gluten Free) (adapted from Whole Foods Recipes)

Makes: 16 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 15oz can of black beans, rinsed and rained
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 sugar (I used turbinado sugar)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8X8 dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
  2. Combine black beans, butter, applesauce, cocoa powder, eggs, and salt in a food processor. Puree until smooth.
  3. Remove blade from food processor. Stir in butterscotch chips.
  4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until middle is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

Chocolate Banana Recovery Smoothie

Published on by Alissa3 Comments

There is something that you should know about me. I am very much a type-A personality. But I am working on it. Not that it is a bad thing…it just gets in the way of having fun sometimes. Once I decide on a goal, I’m like a rabid and starving dog…I latch onto it and DO NOT LET GO until I have done it. It’s like the old “hand shake” agreement that I have with my brain. It’s a sick sick sick disease that I have.

For example, a few years back I started running. I had never been a runner. When I think of runners, images of long legged and tall women and men come to my mind. Not me…short and squatty.  I’m short…very short. I lie when I say that I’m 5’3″ on my driver’s license. But I had a goal…I was going to start running. I had previously jogged here and there. I’d even ran a 5k several years before. But I had never kept with it. I was too busy, I thought. Too busy to take just 30 minutes out of my day.

So in an attempt to meet my goal and to shed some of the 10+ grad school pounds that I picked up, I began running. Beginning in January, I couldn’t run a mile. And then I ran two….and then, by April, I ran 6 miles in a relay.

Well, if I could go 6…I could go 13, right? Goal set. I ran a half marathon by June.

Then my head immediately says…”If you can do 13….you can do a full marathon”. Goal set.

My body choked, I got a hip fracture…but by October, I pushed through and finished a marathon, with a hip fracture. 26.2 miles. And yes, those last 0.2 miles are important. Did I mention I’m Type-A? And crazy. I mentioned I was crazy, right? And stupid. But I had a goal, right? Crazy.

Needless to say, I think I have learned my lesson…with running at least. I’m not advocating, at all, my quick way to marathoning. Really, you should be running for over a year before attempting one or even a half marathon at that. And then you probably won’t fracture your hip, like I did. stupid. I mentioned I was crazy, right?

Anyways, I do learn from my mistakes.

Who knows if I will ever run another marathon again, but I’ve been an avid runner now for over 3 years.  I’m addicted. I love the feeling of running in the spring. It’s my “me” time. I now know that you have to eat right to get to where you want to be. During that whole experience, I crashed and burned a lot, but I also learned that meals and snacks are the fuel for the next event.

I still do long runs on weekends, about 6 to 10 miles, depending on the weather. After a long run, bike ride, or even a hard workout (over 45 minutes), it is super important to get protein and carbs back into for body to refuel for the day and for your next run, ride, or workout. Low fat chocolate milk is perfect for this refueling. It has good carbs and plenty of protein (3 to 1 ratio). Usually, I buy the vacuum packed organic chocolate milk that is in simple individual servings. I can take them with me when I travel and they are a perfect single serving.

However, if I am at home, I make my own recovery drink which is a chocolate banana smoothie. I always keep sliced frozen bananas in the freezer because I always have those few bananas that are going bad at the end of the week. Slicing them up and storing them in the freezer is perfect to grab later for smoothies or to defrost and use in breads.

So here is the quick and simple smoothie. In a blender, throw some sliced frozen bananas with a cup of milk and a few teaspoons of dutch unprocessed cocoa powder (Mmmmm antioxidants!). Done. Blend. Drink.

Tastes like a milk shake.  Now that’s fun. I told you I was working on having fun. And even if you don’t do long runs, this is a great healthy start to your day or even as a dessert at night.

Chocolate Banana Recovery Smoothie

Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1/2 to 1 cup sliced frozen bananas
  • 3/4 to 1 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons dutch-processed cocoa

Instructions

  1. Place cocoa in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of milk or water. Mix milk and cocoa powder to make a chocolate paste.
  2. Add frozen sliced bananas, milk, and chocolate paste to a blender or the cup of an immersion blender.
  3. Blend.
  4. Drink.
  5. Enjoy.

Healthy Chocolate and Banana Pudding Parfaits

Published on by Alissa3 Comments

This weekend I had a major pudding craving but did not want to resort to making the boxed variety (bleh) or standing over a stovetop trying to make it from scratch with lots of eggs, cream, and chocolate.  So began my search for both a healthy and easy pudding.

I found this interesting recipe for pudding in Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook. He uses tofu (stop rolling your eyes) instead of milk.  The recipe basically takes a block of firm tofu and divides it in two portions. Half of the tofu is blended with melted chocolate, sugar syrup, and vanilla. The other portion of tofu is blended separately with bananas, sugar syrup, and vanilla.  The food scientist in me was seriously curious. Would it be creamy? Would it be chocolaty? Would it be soy-y? The verdict…YES. YES. and not really.

The chocolate pudding had a slight soy aftertaste, but not near as bad as the aftertaste associated with soy milk. The flavors and thickness of both puddings improved as they chilled in the fridge. My husband liked the banana pudding the best. I liked them both, but actually liked the chocolate one a bit better (even though I’m not a big chocolate fan) only because it was slightly more firm and more “pudding-ish”.

Allow the two puddings to chill for ate least 30 minutes before making the parfaits. 

Adaptations: Next time I think I may replace the sugar syrup with almond milk and maple syrup or honey. I am also dreaming about a butterscotch variation….I will keep you posted on the results of the experiment. If you want to make _all_ chocolate or _all_ banana, then double the ingredients of the flavor that you want and do not include the ingredients of the one that you do not want.

 Healthy Chocolate and Banana Pudding Parfaits (serves 6), slightly adapted from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 1 lb organic silken tofu (divided), drained
  • 1/2 cup sugar (I used turbinado sugar which gave a bit of a carmel flavor)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • salt

Instructions

  1. Place sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat to boiling over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
  2. Drain the tofu and divide in half. Place half of the tofu with the melted chocolate, half of the vanilla, and half of the sugar syrup in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Add a dash or two of salt. Blend in and taste.  Place chocolate pudding in a bowl with a lid. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Clean out the bowl of the food processor.
  4. Place the other half of the tofu in the food processor along with the bananas, the remaining vanilla extract, and the remaining sugar syrup. Puree until well blended. Add a dash or two of salt. Blend in and taste. Place banana pudding in a separate bowl with a lid. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Layer pudding in small individual glasses with chocolate on the bottom and banana on the top.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Published on by Alissa1 Comment

Now, I looooove banana bread, but sometimes you need a bit of a change. Peanut butter meet banana. I dig these in the morning, in the afternoon, a snack before a run, a night snack…. Yes, make these puppies. If you like sweet muffins, feel free to increase the honey or sugar.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (serves 12)

These muffins are adapted from Mark Bittman’s recipe for muffins in “How To Cook Everything” and the “Food Matters Cookbook“. And inspired by Joy the Baker’s recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Bread.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup honey (or brown sugar)
  • 2 to 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup organic all natural peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
  • 1/4 turbinado sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375 F. Line 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Whisk till combined. Set aside.
  3. Combine wet ingredients (honey through egg) in medium bowl. Add butter and peanut butter. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.
  4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix with wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Stir in peanuts, if using. Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with turbinado sugar.
  5. Fill muffins 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle of muffin comes out clean. Tops should be lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Eat warm!!!!